Rockstar Parents
by Silas C
Summary: Hotaru is a child without a family. Can two friends come together to give Hotaru that family? [Complete]
1. Prologue

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Prologue_

* * *

All three girls stared questioningly at each other. Everything was over. There was nothing left that would keep them together. Their missions were complete. Then what was it that kept them standing there in a cold, distant, manner?

A child.

With tiny hands, a small girl reached out for the tall blonde to pick her up. Haruka picked her up without hesitance, aligning her nose with Hotaru's. The two smiled as Hotaru laughed innocently.

" We're going to go play on the swing. " Haruka said as she escorted the young girl with her to the playground. It didn't seem fair to the blonde to make Hotaru behave when all of the other children were running wild.

" Now what? " Setsuna asked, relieving a heavy sigh out.

" I'm not sure but I don't think we can walk away from this without Hotaru. There's no way I'm willing to give her up for adoption when I know she loves us with all of her tiny heart. " Michiru took a seat at a nearby bench. " Haruka would make such a great mother. " The aqua-haired girl had this heart-warming expression on her face as she looked upon the two with admiration.

" Hai, but would she make a good father? " Setsuna questioned, with a smirk widening by the moment.

" What do you mean? "

" You two love her. I think that much is very clear. And, while I love her too, my life is extremely demanding of me. I think we can work this out. What if I set you guys up to be the 'real' parents of Hotaru? "

" How would you do that? "

" Oh, you know, tampering with legal documents… I've got a knack for it. " Setsuna joked. " Seriously, it wouldn't be a bad idea. But, it would require you two to fulfill the role… having a child can be more demanding than fighting daemons. "

" You know I would, Setsuna. I would gladly give up my career as a violinist, or at least compromise it, just to be a good mother. But that's a lot to ask of Haruka. She's a rising star in Japan. She just met with a few big-name sponsors last week. They're going to sign her for a multi-million dollar deal. "

" Wow. All that hard work paid off. "

" It did. I could never impose that upon Haruka. This was her dream: to race. I couldn't be the one to take that away from her. "

" It's not like she can't race. It's more like she has an additional responsibility. " Setsuna shrugged. " Is there anything Haruka can't do? "

" You know she can do anything she puts her mind to. But I'll be okay with being a single parent, Setsuna. I would hate to have Haruka end her dreams when she hasn't even tasted them yet. "

" I will ask her. Don't you worry. "

* * *

Haruka was inevitably nervous. She had been pacing the corridor for quite some time. There were so many thoughts running through her head and so little time for her to get them out. Tonight she had scheduled an emergency meeting with her sponsor, to … discuss a few things.

" Tenoh! " A brown-haired, older man held his hand open to his office. " Please, come on in. It's a little late to be having a meeting. I take it something is wrong. Is there anything I can do for you? "

" Yes, sir. It is somewhat important. I know I have already agreed to sign on to your company's advertisement campaign but I have an issue that has come up. " Haruka knew that she had to be firm in what she wanted and she had never wanted something more in her whole life.

" An issue? I don't understand. "

" Yes, an issue. Are you aware of Michiru Kaioh? "

" Of course, the famous violinist. Who doesn't know her? "

" Hai, well, Ms. Kaioh and I have been talking for quite some time. We're not only good friends but also… well, we've been seeing each other for a couple years now. "

" Oh. "

" We've always wanted children of our own but, we've decided to adopt. There's no point in having children when there are tons of kids who need parents already. None of that matters, the point is, we have a new addition. On top of that, we're going through some changes at home. Moving in, buying a house, getting prepared for Hotaru… "

" I see. " The man stood up. " Are you trying to tell me that this is going to affect your racing? "

" Naturally. "

" If that's the case then I suggest you don't adopt this… Hatoari… or whatever. You've signed with one of the biggest names in the industry. You can't be wasting your time changing diapers and taking your child to school. This is a serious deal, Mr. Tenoh. We don't settle for anything less than what we already indicated. This is your choice. "

" I apologize. I understand. " Haruka murmured.

* * *

It was late. Michiru had stayed up most of the night waiting for Haruka's phone call. She had called the blonde's cell phone once or twice but it was futile; Haruka simply wasn't answering. Her eyes drifted to Hotaru who was sleeping contently in her own bed.

**Setsuna should have never asked her. Racing is her life dream. To take that away from her, would hurt me the most. **

There was a knock at her door and Michiru fixated her gaze to the front door. **I wonder who could be here this late at night? **Michiru walked over to the peep hole, staring into it. Ever since she had sole possession of Hotaru, she was more careful in every action she made, knowing it could affect the safety of the small girl.

" Haruka, what are you doing here so late? " Michiru asked, all too happy to see Haruka, though she hid it well.

The blonde looked worn out and tired. " I needed to talk to you. "

Michiru let the other girl in, closing and locking the door behind her. " Are you okay?"

" Me? " Haruka asked, incredulously. " Why wouldn't I be okay? "

Michiru stood, a bit dumbfounded. " Setsuna told me that she asked you … "

" Michiru. " The blonde placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. " I'm never better. Where is she? " Haruka looked towards Michiru's bedroom. " Ah, asleep, of course. " Haruka made her way to the back room.

" Haruka, I didn't mean for her to ask you. I know you have so much going on right now. I didn't mean for her to put you on the spot. " Michiru followed the blonde, who inadvertently found herself laying next to Hotaru, who was fast asleep on the bed.

" Come lay with us. " Haruka motioned for her to lay on the other side of Hotaru. Michiru did as was requested of her; she rarely objected to Haruka's requests. " I told the sponsors about Hotaru."

" I'm -- " Michiru suddenly became scared of the blonde's reaction. She didn't mean to push her away by asking her to commit to Hotaru.

Haruka placed a finger on Michiru's lips. " I told them that I needed to make time for Hotaru. They didn't want to settle on having my attention split between them and Hotaru so I had to make a decision, for myself. "

" I never expected you to make one on behalf of us. " Michiru admitted quietly. " I would never have you give up your dream. "

" I'm sorry. I couldn't give up my dream. " Haruka mumbled, lowly. Michiru's stomach seemed to have hit the floor at those words. Even though she knew Haruka would pick racing as an instinctive reaction, the words still hurt to hear. " I couldn't give it up because I realized it was no longer my dream; I have a new one. And my new dream is to be there for Hotaru as much as possible. To be Hotaru's … 'father', if you will. I know I can't deny the fact that I love everything about her. I love her smile, her laugh, her little fingers. And I know she loves us. " Haruka leaned back into Michiru's pillow, placing her cheek against Hotaru's forehead. " I will be here for you just as much as I will for Hotaru. Besides, if you can compromise with being a famous violinist and give up your life's dream, then I'm sure I can get sponsored again and race on the side. "

Michiru was near to tears when she heard Haruka's confession. They were great friends but this was simply something she would never forget. Haruka wasn't just a friend; she was a great one.

" Thanks, Haruka. Thank you so much. " Michiru watched the blonde close her eyes. Knowing that both Hotaru and Haruka would be sleeping with her tonight, made her feel like she had everything she ever cared about, within her reach. And that was a comforting thought.

* * *


	2. School for Hotaru

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter One: School for Hotaru_

* * *

Michiru rubbed her eyes, opening them to find an interesting scene. She propped herself up on her pillow and watched Haruka try to dress Hotaru. Unfortunately for Haruka, it wasn't really working out. Hotaru's short was on backwards, her shoes weren't on the right feet and Hotaru's hair was a mess. Michiru held back the urge to laugh. They were whispering but not very quietly which urged Michiru to make it known that she was up.

" So what are you two troublemakers up to? "

" Oh, Michiru. I'm sorry. I hope we didn't wake you. " Haruka said, quietly.

" Hi Mama. " Hotaru waved with excitement.

Michiru sat back, a bit confused as to what Hotaru had just called her. " Hello sweetheart. "

" Papa says we gonna go to the park. " Haruka looked Hotaru into the eyes as she forgot to add something in. " Oh! After school. Do you wanna come? "

" Of course I'll come. " Michiru adored the little girl sitting on the floor. Then she moved to the floor to help the blonde. " Haruka… um… her shoes are on backwards. "

Haruka stared at the girl's shoes for a second and then blushed. " I must be tired. "

" Here, let me take over. Why don't you go ahead and sleep in today? "

" No, I want to take Hotaru to school. " Haruka stated firmly. There wasn't anything she wouldn't give up just to see Hotaru's first day of school.

" Okay, then I'll come with you. But let me fix a few things on Hotaru real quick. " Michiru winked as she flipped Hotaru's shirt around, switched the shoes so that they were on the right feet and combed Hotaru's messy hair. " I'll be right back, let me throw on some clothes that I can wear out in public. "

" I don't understand. She looks like a totally different child now. " Haruka said in disbelief. " There's no way I could ever get Hotaru to look as pretty as she does now." Haruka picked up the child, kissing her on the forehead. " I guess we should leave getting you ready to Michiru--mama. " Haruka corrected herself.

Hotaru nodded, playing with Haruka's nose. " Mama is coming with us? "

" She sure is. " Haruka replied as she packed up Hotaru's bags.

" Done. " Michiru came flying out of the bathroom, set to go.

" I guess so. " The blonde laughed at how fast Michiru got ready. " You know for the past few weeks, you have never gotten ready that fast. "

Michiru rolled her eyes. " I had no choice! I don't want Hotaru to be late."

Haruka whispered something into Hotaru's ear. Hotaru turned to Michiru, with a sad expression on her face. " But mama, I don't care about being late, as long as I'm with you. "

" Cute, Haruka. Real cute. " Michiru nudged the blonde as they made their way out of the door. " Now, no driving 200 mph with Hotaru in the car. Understand? "

" Uh huh. " Haruka replied, dumbly. " You're right. We should drive 240 mph. That will get us there faster. "

" Haruka! "

The blonde had a smile on her face as she strapped Hotaru into the car. " Who loves you, Hotaru? "

" Mama and Papa. "

" That's right sweetheart. "

* * *

" Was it hard? " Michiru asked Haruka, who had suddenly gone quiet after Hotaru had been dropped off.

" Yeah. Harder than I thought it would be. I didn't expect myself to feel like I was losing a part of me for a couple hours. " Haruka sighed, shoving her hands in her pocket.

" Hai, it's heartbreaking. But she's going to love school. " Michiru placed her arm inside of Haruka's who seemingly didn't mind.

" Did you talk to your parents the other day? "

Michiru was hesitant in answering. " Hai, I did. They might be coming down in a couple months. "

" What did they say about us being Hotaru's parents? "

" Not a whole lot, except that they expect me to marry Seiya eventually. " Michiru admitted, somewhat irritated by the whole subject. It wasn't her decision to marry Seiya, it was theirs. They had been set on this ever since she could remember.

" Will you? " Haruka asked, concerned. The blonde looked away, avoiding eye contact with Michiru.

The aqua-haired girl was surprised by how much the question concerned Haruka. She was never this worried about anything. " I don't know. I haven't thought things through clearly. I know I should what's right… but I think I've lost sight of that. "

" I don't really like Seiya. " Haruka came clean. " He doesn't seem like he's the faithful kind of guy and he doesn't seem like he would care about Hotaru. You should at least convince them to let you marry another man. "

" Haruka… are you jealous? "

" No, yeah right. I'm just saying I don't think he would be good for you. "

Michiru giggled. " Okay, I'll look around. But don't hold it against me if my parents force me to marry Seiya. "

" I will hold it against you! " Haruka smiled as Michiru laughed. " If you marry Seiya, I will tell everyone it's because you fell in love with his bad manners and womanizing. "

Michiru slugged Haruka on the shoulder. " You wouldn't. "

" Maybe I would. " The blonde winked at the smaller girl. " Do you want to get something to eat? "

" Sure, where -- " Michiru pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. " Give me a second. Hello? " She answered the phone in a very cold manner.

" _Michiru… hey, it's Seiya. "_

Hearing who was on the phone, Haruka put a finger down her throat. She started making funny faces at Michiru who was doing her best to contain her laughter.

" Of course it's you. What can I do for you? "

" _I'm coming in town next week. I was wondering if we could spend some time together before I move down. Maybe have some alone time. What do you think? "_

" Oh, well, I don't really know. My schedule is booked up pretty tight. Plus, I have Hotaru now so there's not a whole lot of free time. "

"_No problem. I'll just be your shadow. We'll do whatever you need to do. I would just like to spend time with you, that's all. "_

At this point, Haruka was trying to take the phone away from Michiru, but the aqua-haired girl wasn't going to give in.

" Sure, that sounds great. Listen Seiya I have to go. I have some important matters to attend to. "

" _Okay-- "_

Michiru hung up the phone and ran from Haruka. The blonde caught up with her effortlessly.

" I'm totally using that against you. " Haruka folded her arms across her chest. " I can't believe you agreed to let him hang around Hotaru. "

" Well, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't already have a master plan. " Michiru replied, coyly.

" Oh, what's your genius plan? "

" I'll tell him that you're deathly ill and that you need to stay with me the whole week. He would never try anything in front you. "

" Great… a whole week with the charming Seiya. I think I'll pass. " The blonde gave Michiru the cold shoulder, she didn't want to talk about the subject.

" Haruka please… " Michiru hung off Haruka's arm like a little girl. " Please? "

Haruka rolled her eyes. Seiya wasn't someone she liked nor wanted to like. And now Michiru was asking her to do the impossible: hang out with him.

* * *


	3. Early Arrival

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Two: Early Arrival_

* * *

Haruka kept tossing and turning. For some reason she kept hearing a distinct noise, though it was minute, it was distinct at that. The blonde opened her eyes, though not really. She saw Hotaru in between her and Michiru and she smiled at the sight of it. Haruka swallowed hard when she realized how peaceful Michiru was when she slept. All of her aqua-marine locks fell into her face and a thought came across Haruka's mind. She became sad with the thought of losing Michiru to Seiya.

**Losing? **Haruka sighed. It wasn't as if she had Michiru to begin with. There were plenty times in the past that Michiru made it clear she was into boys. Yet, here she lay with her friend, admiring all of her features knowing that it was dangerous to do so. Haruka couldn't help it. There was something drawing her to Michiru, some inexplicable desire. It wasn't lust, though there were many attractive features Michiru possessed, Haruka was more attracted to the girl's personality. She'd never met someone that had treated her as if she were normal. Not like Michiru had.

Haruka jumped again, this time off the bed. **That noise again. Is… that the door? **The blonde glanced over at the alarm clock. **It's four in the morning and someone is at the door. **Haruka rolled her eyes, irritated. Her life was always something else. She couldn't enjoy one moment of it without being interrupted horribly. She managed to trudge over to the door, opening it quietly, so as not to wake Michiru or Hotaru.

She stared blankly for a few seconds. Then she placed a hand behind her neck as if in thought but it was clear she hadn't been thinking. Haruka finally shut the door but before she could turn around, she heard another knock. She opened it, this time more aggressively.

" Do you know what time it is? " Haruka whispered with a tone so low she made herself shudder.

" I'm sorry. I don't mean to intrude but my flight came in early. "

Haruka scratched her forehead in disbelief. " It came in three days early, huh. " The blonde looked skeptically at the man before her. " That's a new one. I'll have to remember that. " They stood at the door, neither of them budging. " Can't you go somewhere else for the morning? "

Seiya averted his eyes to his luggage, attempting to make Haruka feel bad. " No. Unfortunately they were all booked up. "

" Oh, is that so? Every hotel is booked? "

" Yes, I can't possibly go anywhere else. "

" I'm sure you could try Nagoya or even Sendai. "

" Haruka, this is Tokyo. You want me to drive all the way to a different city just to stay there for the morning? "

" I sure do. " Haruka still wouldn't budge. " I mean, if the hotels are all booked up, then it would only be logical to try a different city. "

" Come on, Haruka. Are you serious? " Seiya put his luggage on the floor. " It's cold out here. Let me in. "

" It's a hall way. How is it cold? I'm sure if you don't want to drive to Sendai or to Nagoya, then your last resort is to sleep in the hall. " The blonde folded her arms across her chest.

" What a fine hostess you are. " Seiya mumbled as he took a seat on his luggage. " I'm going to be Michiru's future husband and you're going to make me sleep outside?"

Haruka growled at the thought of the two getting married. But, she would have to let him in eventually, despite how fun it was to make fun of him. She stared at him with narrow eyes. Finally, she picked up one of his bags and tossed it on the floor in the living room.

" You can come in but I have some rules about this. " Haruka pointed to where he could leave his bags. " I sleep in Michiru's room, with Hotaru and Michiru. You sleep out here. Don't get any ideas. Understand? " Haruka turned to go back to bed when she stopped herself. " Don't touch anything. Nothing! " Haruka glared at Seiya as he reached to turn on a lamp. " I don't want your germs all over my stuff. "

" Isn't this Michiru's apartment? " Seiya asked, offended by the statement. " And I don't have germs. "

" You do too. All boys have them. Now, if you want to live in the hall, you can keep objecting to my rules. If you want to sleep on the couch, then be quiet and don't touch anything. " Haruka squinted her eyes as a warning. " Don't wake us up and don't touch Hotaru. "

" Okay, geez. You would think I'm an illness. " Seiya finally gave up as he opened one of his bags.

Haruka retired to her room, closing and locking the door behind her. **Now, where was I at? **The blonde slid into bed, under her warm fleece blanket and closed her eyes. It didn't help her sleep knowing that Seiya was in the other room but the sight of her princess and Michiru's beauty was more than enough to bring her mind to peace.

* * *

Haruka woke up but not before the others. She found herself in an empty bed and she was awfully sad about it. **Ah, I missed them. **The blonde pulled the covers off of her and headed into the living room, where the kitchen was. She nearly cringed when she saw the scene before her. Hotaru was sitting in Seiya's lap, Seiya feeding her. Michiru was sitting next to him and they seemed to be having a very interesting conversation. So interesting that Michiru failed to notice that she was up. Haruka rolled her eyes. This was going to be irritating, she knew it. **I'm going to the track, I don't have time to be wasting around here. If Michiru wants to be Seiya's companion then let her. **Haruka walked back into her room, got dressed in her uniform and came back into the kitchen. She didn't want to admit it but seeing Seiya practically taking her place made her green with envy. Hotaru didn't know the difference, she was too sweet. But Michiru didn't seem to be very considerate of how she would feel.

" Haruka you're -- " Michiru was cut off when she realized Haruka was reaching for a set of keys. " Where are you going? "

Haruka made sure to 'accidentally' nudge Seiya in the head as she reached for the right pair. Seiya bit his lip, knowing she did it on purpose and tried to hold back his comment.

" To the track. " Haruka replied in a low tone. " Must I run everything by you? " The blonde left a very stunned Michiru behind.

" Don't you want breakfast? "

" No. But even if I did, Seiya's sitting in my chair anyways. " Haruka locked the door behind her and left.

" I guess she's not a morning person. " Seiya said as he fed Hotaru another spoon full of cereal.

Michiru only glanced at the door, in disbelief. Haruka was never like that, ever. In fact, Haruka was always quiet by nature but at most, she was never the kind of person that struck her as rude. She noticed that Seiya had been sitting in Haruka's seat and she wondered if that was what had made Haruka angry. But it couldn't have been all that bad. She only wanted the blonde to be able to sleep in for once. Haruka was never able to do what she loved most, ever since they took Hotaru in. She was just trying to be nice.

" Mama, when is Papa coming back? " Hotaru said through spoonfuls. Seiya questioned the child's terminology.

" Did she just call Haruka her papa? " Seiya asked, bewildered by the implication.

" Hai, that is her papa. " Michiru firmly stated without so much as a glance at Seiya. " And sweetheart, I'm really not too sure when she will be back, but I promise I'll find out. And if she isn't back before lunch, then we'll just have to go see her. "

Hotaru was giddy at the thought of visiting her papa. She quickly jumped out of Seiya's arms and into Michiru's. " Mama, can we go see her now. I miss her. "

Michiru laughed. " Sweetie, papa has only been gone for a minute. "

" But I still want to go. " Hotaru pouted.

" Maybe later, if you're good. Are you finished eating? " Michiru asked.

" Yes. "

" Then why don't you go pick out the outfit you want to wear. Look in papa's drawer, all of your clean clothes are in there. " Michiru messed Hotaru's hairs up knowing that she would probably have to comb them again. But she loved to do it so she would pay the price later. Hotaru skipped off into their room, on a mission to pick the best outfit for her papa.

" Sounds like you have a comfy family already, Michiru. " Seiya licked his lips as they had gone dry. " I mean, ' papa ' - what's going on here? "

" Calm down Seiya. Nothing is 'going on.' " Michiru cleaned up her plate and Hotaru's. " What's this to you anyways? The last time I checked, you weren't ready to get married because you hadn't had enough girls yet. "

" That's not true. "

" I'm sure. " Michiru replied, dryly. " Not that it is any of your business but Haruka and I are friends. We decided to adopt Hotaru and now we're having a great time. I'm sorry if things aren't like you wanted them to be. This is the family that I have made. "

" Family? " Seiya laughed. " Hotaru is fine and so are you. A family would be the three of us. Not the three of you. Haruka can't be a father, in more ways than one. She's not fit to be. She's a star racer, she wouldn't have any time for family things. And besides, she's a girl. You're a girl. A family is between a man and a woman. Are you starting to see the whole picture? "

" I think it's you that has lost sight of the picture. This is what we've made. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. We're not here to please you. And stop talking about Haruka like you know her. I'll have you out of here before you can even think of apologizing." Michiru glared at Seiya. " The only reason you're here is because I'm sure you're parents have persuaded you to finally marry me. "

" And why can't that happen? "

" Because I have another life now. "

" You loved me once. "

" No, I thought I liked you once. Now I see you for your true colors. "

Seiya felt a sting in his heart. Had he really hurt her that bad for her to say such things? He watched her disappear into her room, closing the door behind her. He had to rethink his plan. This wasn't going to work out like he wanted it to. Haruka proved to be a solid obstacle and Michiru seemed to be close enough to the blonde. **I have to separate them. I have to pull them apart. That's the only way I can try to regain Michiru's love back. **Seiya sat back in his chair, contemplating his options. He knew he would feel bad for pulling them apart but he had every right to. His parents were going to kill him if he didn't marry Michiru and on top of that, there was a good chance that Michiru would continue to hide behind Haruka. Seiya had to pin them when they were weak. That was his best chance at driving them apart. **I have to do this. Besides, I'm right. What kind of family is this? Hotaru would be much better off with me as her father. And Michiru, well, I can think of all the ways that I can enjoy her. **Seiya grinned as his mind started churning ideas.

* * *


	4. Case of the Missing Bear

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Three: Case of the Missing Bear_

* * *

Haruka came home, tired. She was in no mood to even look at Seiya. For the past two days she had been spending all of her time at the track. Michiru would drop by with Hotaru but they never stayed long because the blonde's behavior was always foul. She didn't mean for it to be but this little plan of Michiru's wasn't working out. In fact, it seemed as though Seiya was working his way into Michiru's good graces and slowly shoving her out. Haruka sighed; there was no use in thinking of it now. Her thinking always got her in trouble and she was much too tired to deal with the consequences.

" I'm home. " Haruka mumbled under her breath as she entered in the living room. She noticed Seiya had been washing one of his dishes and she decided to exact some revenge upon the boy. She casually walked over and reached over his head, to get a cup of some sort, which cup she got didn't really matter - it was how she got it that did. She carefully maneuvered herself above Seiya's head and then, 'accidentally' shoved him into the sink.

Seiya turned around, disorientated. " Are you kidding? " There was no way she should be even touching him, let alone shoving him into the sink.

" Oh, Seiya, didn't realize you were there. " Haruka kept reaching for a glass, even though her hand had already touched a few. " Oh. " The blonde shoved him again, pretending as though she were getting a cup. " I'm sorry. Would you look at that, I'm terribly clumsy. " The blonde finally got up a cup and then realized she didn't want it. " Well, I'm no longer thirsty. Can you believe that? " Haruka asked as she walked out of the small kitchen and into her bedroom. Seiya would have flipped out had she not gone into the other room. She was really pushing his buttons.

" Papa! " Haruka's eyes widened a bit. She got as excited as a tired Haruka could, picking up her daughter and swinging her around until she got red in the face with laughter. " Papa, do it again! Swing me! "

" Later, Hotaru. " Haruka replied, laughing. " You're going to wear me out. " Hotaru pouted but then realized what the blonde had said. " What? Don't look at me like that. "

" But Papa, if you go to sleep now, who will I sleep with? " Hotaru asked, innocently.

Haruka leaned her head back. She was terribly tired but she couldn't refuse Hotaru's question. She would simply have to stay up. " Well, I suppose I could stay up for a few more hours. "

Hotaru jumped in joy. " Yay. " She slid off the bed and walked over to the bathroom doorway, where a content Michiru had been leaning. " Mama, papa is going to stay up for some more hours. " Hotaru then walked off to find a toy of hers, leaving the two to themselves.

" Tired? " Michiru asked, sympathetically.

" Kinda. " Haruka didn't feel like being mean. Even though she was mad at Seiya, she couldn't find it in her at this point, to act like an idiot. " I've been running too much. "

" I cooked for you but you didn't come home when I expected. " Michiru motioned towards the fridge. " I made your favorite. It's in the refridgerator if you want it. " Michiru moved from the doorway over to the bed Haruka had been sitting on. She wanted to find out what was wrong with Haruka. She had been acting strange lately. She had a theory it had to do with Seiya but even Michiru had to admit that he really wasn't all that bad.

" Thank you. " Haruka replied, feeling guilty for her behavior lately. Michiru had done nothing but think of her and all Haruka could think about was how much she didn't like Seiya. And Michiru was partially right, Seiya had done nothing thus far that would merit her behavior. Maybe she held a grudge from the past but it unfair of her to treat him the way she did. " I'm sorry about … lately. "

Michiru moved once again, noticing Haruka's sudden mood, to the floor just at Haruka's feet. The aqua-haired girl took the blonde's hands in her own, causing Haruka's heart to skip a beat. An overwhelming feeling took hold of her as she did her best to avert her eyes elsewhere. Michiru simply wasn't fair sometimes. Haruka thought, resisting the urge to lean in closer. She would do anything to be close to Michiru. And right about now, Michiru was crossing the boundary between friends. Or at least, Haruka seemed to think so.

" You have had me worried, I'll admit to that. Your behavior is so different than what it normally was, I almost considered kicking Seiya out of the house. " Michiru paused. " I knew as soon as he arrived that he was the one causing trouble with you. I just want you to know that my offer stands. He doesn't have to be here if you don't want him to be. "

" Why do you care so much about what I think? " Haruka said with a hint of bitterness in her tone. " Shouldn't you be taking Seiya's side? I have been nothing but cruel to him. "

" How could I not? " Michiru went to defensive mode. She was trying to be supporting but she was feeling that her support wasn't getting her anywhere. " You know I care very much about what you think. You're a dear friend of mine, Haruka. "

Haruka shivered at the word. **A friend. How could I be anything different. **Haruka sighed as the thought passed her mind. She wasn't sure why she had been so possessive lately over Michiru and Hotaru. She was sure it was because of Seiya but her place in life seemed to be replaceable. Especially after that day she saw Seiya feeding her little princess and having an intimate conversation with Michiru. Haruka shrugged it off. **I have to forget my feelings for her. They're going to get me in trouble. **

" Princess? " Haruka called out, noticing that Hotaru had been gone looking for her toy. A small child came staggering in with a very sad expression written all over her face. Both Michiru and Haruka alike couldn't stand to see it. " Darling, what's wrong?"

Michiru was about to go and pick her up but Haruka beat her to the punch. She was sure it wasn't a bad thing because every time the blonde even came close to being affectionate with the child, Hotaru would have smiles all over the place. It was if the two disappeared into their own little world with Haruka picked her up.

" Princess, what's wrong? " Haruka cuddled the child while rocking her to and fro. Hotaru had tears come to her face as she could no longer contain her tears.

" Papa, my favorite bear is gone. " Hotaru wailed as she found comfort in Haruka's shoulder.

Haruka looked questioningly at Michiru who only returned the same confusion. " Do you know where you last put it? "

Hotaru shook her head. " No but it's my favorite bear. " Michiru got up and began to cheer up Hotaru while she was lying on her papa's shoulder. After working together, both Haruka and Michiru managed to get a smile out of Hotaru as she seemingly forgot about the issue altogether.

" I'll look for it later. " Haruka whispered to Michiru as she went into the front room. "I'm sure your favorite bear will show up darling. Just give it a chance. "

" Haruka… " Michiru took Hotaru from her arms. " You need a shower. "

The blonde shot Michiru a death glare. " You sure know how to make me feel good about myself. "

Michiru couldn't help but giggle. " I'm sorry. It's the truth! "

" Whatever. " Haruka muttered under her breath as she took a whiff of herself. " Oh, yeah I think you're right. " The blonde got red in the face as she headed to the bathroom. " Give me like, twenty minutes. I'll be right back, princess. " Hotaru nodded as Haruka disappeared into the bathroom.

" That reminds me. " Michiru grabbed the keys to Haruka's car. " I left my purse in Haruka's car. I'll be right back. "

" Let me watch Hotaru. " Seiya offered. " I'm not doing anything else. "

" Okay. " Michiru thanked Seiya. Having to lug Hotaru up and down two flights of stairs would be tiresome. " I won't be long. "

" Take your time. " Seiya grinned as she left. " Take your time. "

It was colder than Michiru had expected it to be. It was only half past seven and it felt cold enough for Michiru to believe that it might snow. She hurried to Haruka's convertible. When she opened the door, she looked around furiously for her purse but it found it with ease. That's when it hit her. Michiru's eye caught something small in the back seat, something small but noticeable. She reached back and picked up a pink bear. Michiru furrowed her eyebrows. Why would Haruka have the bear in her car? No, why would she lie about not knowing where it was? Hotaru hadn't been in the convertible since the summer. Michiru pursed her lips. It went missing yesterday, did Hotaru somehow make it to Haruka's car? Did Haruka accidentally leave it there? Michiru closed the door, somewhat confused about the bear. When she made it upstairs, it was by mistake that Seiya had caught on to her confusion… and the bear she held in her hand.

" Wow, is that the bear Hotaru was crying about? " Seiya asked, curious. " She'll be happy to see it. "

" Yeah but I don't understand why it was in Haruka's car. Just yesterday it was in the living room and I know we didn't drive Hotaru to school in the convertible yesterday." Michiru closed the door behind her, still staring at the bear. " It's probably nothing, I'm sure. "

" Are you thinking maybe Haruka put it in there on purpose? " Seiya instigated though he did so as if he was shocked. Inside his mind was relishing the events that were unfolding.

" I don't think so. "

" How else would it have gotten in there? " Seiya left no room for an argument. " Unless Haruka accidentally grabbed it… but that doesn't make any sense. "

" She would have no reason to keep Hotaru's favorite bear from her. " Michiru asserted but she was secretly putting on a mask. Why would Haruka take something like that from Hotaru… it just didn't make any sense at all. The blonde knew it was Hotaru's favorite toy. She slept with it, took it everywhere but most of all cuddled it. Haruka was the one to give Hotaru the doll. " That doesn't make sense. "

" Unless maybe she wanted Hotaru to cry about it. " Seiya suggested. " Maybe she wanted to see Hotaru cry? "

" Seiya, Haruka isn't that kind of person, I'm sorry. This might be strange but there's an obvious reason behind this. "

" And what if she denies putting it in her car? " Seiya questioned.

" It doesn't matter. It's a bear. And besides, Haruka wouldn't lie to me. She never has. She'll explain what happened with the bear, case done. " Michiru pointed for him to be quiet about the matter but was surprised to see the blonde come out from the back room.

" I'll do what? " Haruka asked as she was drying her short hairs with a towel. Hotaru came into the room and was thrilled to see her bear. " Oh, you found it. Where was it? "

Michiru paused. Why would Haruka play it off like she hadn't taken it? " In your car. "

" In my car? " Haruka asked with disbelief. " Why would it be there? I haven't taken Hotaru to school in the convertible in a while. "

" You tell me. I was looking for my purse and it was sitting in the back of your seat. If you took it, it's okay. Just tell me the truth. " Michiru handed the bear to Hotaru who jumped with glee. She started skipping around all over the apartment, stepping on Haruka's toes once. The blonde grimaced in pain.

" I am telling you the truth. I don't know how it would have gotten into my car. " Haruka replied feeling as though she were being attacked by her friend. " Michiru, seriously. "

" Okay. " Michiru cut back, obviously not believing a word coming out of Haruka's mouth. It wasn't like Haruka to be mad all the time but what's worse: Haruka had never lied to her before in her life. What would be the point now? Seiya looked at Michiru with his eyes downcast. He simply didn't want to say what his expression was implying but Michiru could take the hint. As much as she didn't want to believe Seiya, Haruka wasn't making a whole lot of sense.

* * *


	5. Caught In A Trap, Part One

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Four: Caught In A Trap, Part One_

* * *

'_Damn phone.' _Haruka thought as it rang for the fifth time in ten minutes. The blonde looked down at the ID, recognizing her sponsors number. _'Why does he keep calling me?' _

"Oh, Haruka, is your girlfriend calling you?" Seiya teased, after watching her check the cell several times. "Or boyfriend, however you prefer it."

"Seiya." Michiru stated, in a not so friendly tone. She didn't look up from the newspaper article she had been reading but he was sure that if she did, she would be glaring at him.

"What?" He hopped on to the couch next to Michiru. "Aren't you at all curious as to who Haruka might like?"

Michiru stopped reading her article, even as her eyes were focused on it intently. She never once thought about Haruka having a romantic relationship with someone. With having this family, she was sure the blonde didn't have time to go out and enjoy herself. But a part of Michiru was glad that she didn't.

"Why would I be curious?"

Haruka remained silent in the background, as if she didn't exist. While she was listening in on their very important discussion about her, she decided to listen to her messages. The blonde stole a glimpse of Michiru, as if indulging in some sort of guilty pleasure. Haruka couldn't help it lately. It was as if she couldn't live unless her eyes were upon the aqua-haired beauty. Was that how she truly felt?

"She never talks about wanting to be with anyone. What of her feelings? You're not interested in her love life? She's a falling star of Tokyo… people are all over her, even if her name is dying out."

'_Falling Star?' _Haruka cringed at the phrase. Was that how people had thought of her? That she had fallen from the circuits in a disgraceful manner? So what if she wanted to start a small family of her own. Was it anyone's business? Surely not… but even then, being called a falling star seemingly hurt the blonde more than she knew.

"Seiya, she's not a falling star. Haruka is still the five star racer that she was but now, she's taking a small break." Michiru asserted, valiantly defending her friend, who remained silent.

"Whatever." Seiya began to muse. "I don't get why she's taking a break to begin with."

"We've already gone over this."

"Yeah, so then if she's taking a break, how come she's not dating anyone?"

"Seiya drop it."

"Why, is it because she's secretly dating you?" Michiru threw Seiya a very intense glare. He didn't cower in fear, instead he repeated himself. "It's the only logical explanation I have left. Is it because she's secretly dating you?"

Michiru didn't know what to say, except to deny it. Haruka on the other hand was curious as to the response of Michiru. Up until this point, the blonde had often wondered why they remained so close. Why they both insisted on sleeping in the same room and the same bed. Why they both insisted on being with each other every second of the day. It wasn't that she didn't like it… but could it be that Michiru had feelings for her?

'_Don't be a fool Haruka. Michiru doesn't like girls. Michiru only thinks of you as a friend.' _

"Of course not. I've said this before and I'll say it again, Haruka and I…"

Haruka dreaded the phrase that was coming next, but her dread was postponed when she noticed Michiru had stopped in mid sentence. She had a perplexed look upon her face. Haruka knew it meant that Michiru came to the realization of something but… what was that something?

"… we're just friends."

The blonde cringed for the second time today. _'See, we're just friends… nothing more.'_

Seiya looked over at Haruka with a smug grin on his face. The blonde wanted to wipe it off him, but decided to let him have his way. There was no point in refuting what Michiru had said. All she could do is accept and respect how Michiru felt about their relationship. She might have had a little family with the aqua-haired girl but it didn't mean that they were in way, shape or form, together.

"I see." Seiya stood up. "So then Haruka, if you're not with Michiru, who are you with?"

Haruka scowled at the dark haired boy but noticed that Michiru had been watching her with interest. _'Do I really have to answer that?' _The blonde finally gave up on listening to her messages. Her sponsor had left several messages on her phone about new proposals. He also mentioned something about her contract but she wasn't paying enough attention to the messages for her to actually care about a thing he had to say. '_Michiru is waiting. Answer the question.' _Haruka thought of all the excuses she could make up. _'Just tell the truth. What's the point in lying? They'll catch you eventually.' _

"I'm not with anyone right now. But I wish I could be." Haruka said honestly. She didn't care if Seiya knew that she liked someone. In fact, she could care less.

"What does that mean?" Seiya spat.

"It means that I currently am interested in one person and one person only."

Michiru spoke up after listening. "Who is that someone?" She felt a pang of jealousy resonate in her heart. _'I wonder who she likes…she never talks about this kind of stuff… I wonder why she's been hiding this from me.' _

'_It's you.' _Haruka thought. _'But I could never tell you that. Could I?' _The blonde shrugged, she had to play this off. She ran a list of girls through her head, examining each one for their potential in becoming her girlfriend.

"Yes, do tell." Seiya arched his eyebrow, amused.

"Rei Hino." Haruka finally threw an answer. It wasn't one that she was particularly honest about, but if need be, she was sure she could date Rei to make her story authentic.

'_Rei? Why would she like Rei?' She never mentioned that to me before.' _Michiru felt her emotions spin out of control. _'What does Rei Hino have that Haruka is so attracted to…?' _

"So it is a girl." Seiya walked over to Haruka, patting her on the back. "This sure is one dysfunctional family. Hey I asked Michiru out to dinner tonight… why don't you bring Rei with you. We'll do a double date."

'_Double Date??!' _Haruka bit her tongue. Seiya really had some nerve. "You're doing what?" Her focus went to her friend.

"I thought it would be fun to go out tonight." Michiru admitted, innocently, though she could tell she probably shouldn't have agreed to the night out. Haruka's face was becoming flushed.

"What about Hotaru?" _'I can't believe she agreed to go on a date with him. She must be losing her mind.' _

"We got a babysitter." Seiya replied.

'_He got a babysitter. So this was all planned and Michiru is just now telling me about it… would she have told me if Seiya didn't say anything?' _Haruka gritted her teeth as she watched him intently as he brought a glass to his lips. The blonde's eyes widened.

"MICHIRU!" Haruka turned to the girl with a hurt expression. "How could you let him drink out of my Nascar cup?" The blonde swiped the cup from Seiya's lips, causing him to get extremely angry.

"I didn't think you would be--" Michiru was surprised at how hard Haruka had taken the gesture. The blonde cut her off before she could continue.

"Now it has germs." Haruka said sarcastically. Seiya threw her a death glare and the blonde flipped out. "I told you not to touch my stuff." Before long the two were wrestling around on the floor. Michiru thought about stopping them but who was she to interfere. She would probably throw forty feet in the air. Both of them were strong and both of them looked like they weren't stopping until someone won. Michiru silently knew who that would be.

"Haruka!" Michiru got the blonde's attention and she groaned as she was persuaded to stop picking on Seiya. "Please." Michiru patted the spot on the couch next to her. Haruka trudged away from Seiya, muttering words under her breath. Seiya only watched her with intentions of beating her up later. Haruka sat as close to Michiru as possible, though it wasn't by choice. "Closer." Michiru furrowed her eyebrows as Haruka moved a tiny inch. "Closer." She stated again, this time with amusement. Haruka moved another tiny inch. "Closer." Finally Haruka sighed and moved over as much as Michiru had wanted her to. "Thank you."

The blonde only pouted as Seiya glared at her. She never understood why Michiru did that. But what was worse, she never understood why she even submitted to the will of Michiru. Haruka felt Michiru rest her head on her shoulder and the blonde suddenly calmed down. It was like magic how fast her anger had disappeared. Michiru always had a strange way of doing that.

"You're a huge wimp Haruka--"

"Seiya!" Michiru glared at the dark haired man.

Even Seiya was amazed at how well the girl silenced him. He only laughed. She surely was the best match for him. He knew it. That's why he had to make Michiru his.

* * *

Haruka took a deep breath, clearly angered by the fact that Seiya was in the front seat, where she would normally be sitting.

"Seiya, please move."

"Why, aren't you going to be sitting with your lover, Rei in the back seat?" Seiya mocked Haruka. "Michiru isn't around to protect you, now what are you going to do?" The dark haired man laughed for a moment as he realized that she would do nothing. "You see, if you even try to hurt me, it will look like this was all your fault. And slowly, you'll either have to give in to my wants or lose Michiru's trust. It's up to you."

"I should --" Haruka realized Michiru had been walking back to the car with Rei at her side. This wasn't a time to choke Seiya, even though her instincts told her to do so. Seiya grinned noticing that she realized she couldn't do anything to him.

"Untouchable." Seiya hissed just before Michiru stepped on the scene.

"You two ready?" Michiru asked but was curious as to what they were talking about. Both of them had been whispering about something important, but stopped when she arrived. "Haruka… you're not going to sit in the front with me?" Michiru was disappointed. _'Does she really like Rei that much that she would make Seiya trade seats with her?' _

"It's not--" Haruka gritted her teeth. "… a big deal. I wanted to," The blonde turned back to the raven haired girl. "sit with Rei."

There was smile on Haruka's face that Michiru couldn't quite figure out. The aqua-haired girl knew there was something phony about it but this wasn't the time nor the place to ask questions. She simply sighed in defeat. _'I guess that answers the question for me then.' _

"That's fine." Michiru admitted, trying not to show a twinge of jealousy that she was experiencing. "You two can ride in back. I don't mind riding in front with Seiya."

'_Yes, but I do.' _Haruka thought as she helped Rei into the car. _'He's got me caught in a nice little trap.' _The blonde made sure that Rei was completely comfortable before she stepped in. _'I'm going to find out how to get rid of him… even if it kills me.' _The blonde let her anger go for the time being - there was no point in being mad at Rei because Seiya was a jerk.

* * *

AN: Sry! Finals have been stressing me out but the last one was today, so it's not a big deal. I'll try to keep up with my stories a bit better, now that break is coming up. Thx for reviewing in advance... can you guess what happens next? Haruka goes on a double date with Rei... will it change how she feels about Michiru? Will it change how Michiru feels about Haruka? And will Seiya exact his perfect plan? Coming up next.

* * *


	6. Caught In A Trap, Part Two

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Five: Caught In A Trap, Part Two_

* * *

The more and more Haruka was left to her thoughts, the more she was mad at Seiya for putting her in the position she was in. But of course, the origins of Seiya could only be blamed on Michiru. She agreed to let the dark haired man to come down and stay with them. _'If only Michiru wouldn't have let him stay in our apartment. Hai, it is her apartment, technically, but he's pushing us apart and I can't stand to watch it. It feels like Michiru doesn't see what is happening. It's like Seiya is blinding her with lie after lie. How can I win if he always beats me to the punch?'_

"Haruka, I heard you quit circuit racing, is that true?" Rei asked as she sat closer to the blonde, hoping that she would get a good answer.

Michiru looked in the rearview mirror, adjusting it so she that she could see the blonde properly. She wanted to see what Haruka would say but more importantly, she wanted to see what Haruka felt, having to give up her passion for the family that she had been forced into. _'I will find out how she truly feels about Hotaru and I… her face will show it.' _

"Hai. Racing isn't all that important anymore." Haruka had a content expression on her face. Michiru watched intently, observing every detail of every feature that she possessed. Michiru's eyes widened when Haruka did something she hadn't expected: she smiled. "You see, I found something in life that was more important than racing. I found a new passion." Haruka beamed down on Rei.

"Really? What is that new passion? Will you participate in the Olympics?" Rei asked, curious as ever. Haruka surely had to have a good sport of some kind to fall back on. If she wasn't racing anymore, Rei was sure she would be running.

"No, no." Haruka laughed. "It's nothing like that." A serious expression washed over the blonde's face. "It's something far more important." There was a twinkle in Haruka's eyes, as Michiru began to realize the blonde was thinking of Hotaru at that moment.

"What is it?" Rei this time pleaded for an answer. Curiosity was killing her.

"Hotaru." Haruka whispered. "Hotaru was rendered an orphan. But not for long. Michiru…" The blonde glanced over to the driver's seat, surprised to see the rearview mirror positioned as it was. _'Was she… watching me?' _Haruka scoffed. _'Of course not, why would she be watching me?' _"… sorry lost my train of thought. Michiru and I decided to take Hotaru in. We're now the standing-in mother and father of Hotaru."

Seiya coughed out the words "not the father" but soon regretted it when he felt Michiru pinch him for being rude.

"Wow, Haruka." Rei's had a genuine look in her eyes. "That's a good thing you've done for Hotaru. Giving a child a stable home is something more valuable than a lot of people can offer. Both you and Michiru, I'm sure, will be great parents." When Rei realized what she had said and the implications that might arise, she felt sad. If Haruka was the acting father and Michiru the acting mother, then the date they were going on was pointless. She was sure Michiru and Haruka made a good couple anyways, all it would take is time for them to fall in love.

Michiru watched Haruka, who laughed at Rei. "Rei! Why do you look so sad?" The blonde placed a hand on Rei's leg to get her attention. "Gomen, did I say something that offended you?"

'_She's touching her leg… are they really that close?' _Michiru tried to look away but it didn't take away from the fact that she could still hear the conversation between the two. It was painful to see Haruka bestow Rei with so much attention. Michiru had longed for Haruka to look at her the way she was looking at Rei, but how could she ask the blonde for such a thing? Haruka had already given up a lot to do the things she was doing.

"No, I'm sorry. Do I look sad?" Rei replied even though both of them knew she was lying. Haruka decided to leave the topic alone for fear of causing anymore pain to Rei.

"Okay, I'm turning up the radio. I'm tired of listening to your voice, Tenoh." Seiya joked as he felt a lasting sting from another of Michiru's pinches. "Ow! Must you do that every time?"

"As long as you keep picking on Haruka, you'll be sore from the wrath of my pinches." Michiru smiled in satisfaction when Seiya mumbled something before turning up the radio.

_

* * *

_

Dinner was excellent. They went to a fine restaurant where they were served the best food possible.

"That was the best I've ever had." Seiya said as he stretched back into his chair. He was the fullest he had been in a long time and it made him somewhat lethargic.

"Best food in the world? Not even close." Haruka commented as she put her napkin on her finished dish.

"Oh, you've tasted better?" Michiru inquired, somewhat offended by the comment. She chose this restaurant to please Haruka's tastes and it didn't happen. In fact, it was the opposite.

"Yup. Possibly the best in the universe." Haruka waited until she received the attention she wanted from all three. "Best food in the world, in the universe, should be awarded to Michiru Kaioh."

Michiru blushed. "You think so?"

Seiya growled, rolling his eyes. Haruka always had to pull something out of nowhere to throw off his game. _'No matter, I'll win this one tonight.' _

"Hai." Haruka placed a hand behind her neck. She wasn't use to complimenting the girl before her so she was a bit embarrassed by her remark. "Of course I think so."

"That's sweet." Rei gawked at Haruka's everlasting beauty. "Say, I could cook for you too Haruka."

Michiru bit her lip at the raven-haired girl's comment. It hurt for her to feel like she was competing to be Haruka's favorite. It hurt because she knew she didn't deserve someone as good as the blonde. It hurt because at the end of the night, she wouldn't object to Rei's request that Haruka go home with her.

"Sounds like fun." Haruka replied.

"Oh, I think I'm going to excuse myself for a few moments." Rei winked at the blonde who figured out that she meant she had to go to the restroom.

"Nice going Haruka." Seiya commented. "Now you've scared the only person that likes you, off." He laughed. "You should try harder to impress her. And stop talking about Michiru! Would you like it if the one you liked was always talking about someone else?"

'_No.' _Haruka had to admit that Seiya's point was worthy of noting but she didn't care. Rei was a friend and nothing more. She would always show her affection to the girl, because that's the way she believed all people should be treated, but when it came down to it… she simply wasn't ready to move on.

"And on top of that, you need to start thinking about possibly moving out. Now that I'm--"

Michiru pinched Seiya extremely hard. "Seiya."

"It's true. Haruka, I'm Michiru's future husband. I know that you want to be there for Hotaru and everything, but why don't you let me be Hotaru's stand in father? It would suit me better since I'm a man. Plus, it doesn't make any sense that you have to give up racing for this. Both of you have said it yourself, you're friends. No sense in risking your passion for parenting with a friend. I mean, come on. Like we can't all see that you want to race?"

Michiru didn't have much to say. She wanted to kick Seiya out of the booth but a part of her felt like she needed to release the chains she had wrapped around Haruka. Haruka's dream and passion was always to race in the circuit. It couldn't have changed so suddenly. It couldn't have.

"I see." _'Michiru doesn't disagree with him? Is it because she doesn't want me there anymore?' _"Gomen." Haruka lowered her head, looking into her lap. "I didn't know I was intruding on your life."

"What are you talking about?" Michiru asked. _'Surely she can't be thinking that I agree with him? Could she?' _"Haruka what Seiya said--"

"It's true." Haruka stood up throwing a wad of cash on the table, surely enough to cover everyone's meal twice. "I don't belong here anymore. I'll be here if you need me but I don't think you will." Tears welled up in the blonde's eyes. "Michiru…" _'How do I tell you that you've become everything to me? How can I tell you?' _

"Haruka please don't --" Michiru stood up to stop the blonde but she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. "Seiya, let go!"

"Michiru, she needs to move on. She doesn't want to be here anymore. Wouldn't you want your friend to be happy? She's obviously not happy if she's hiding Hotaru's bear from her. She's obviously not happy if she lies to you all the time. She's obviously not happy if her manager calls with offers of a new career and she doesn't tell him to stop calling. If she wanted a family, wouldn't she simply sever the ties between her and them?"

'_All of what he is saying is true… does Haruka really not want to be here anymore?' _Michiru took her seat once more. _'If Seiya is right then I have no right to chase after her. I would only be more of a burden.' _

"Ara, where is Haruka?" Rei questioned when she returned to the table. Both Seiya and Michiru had blank expressions on their face.

"Gone." Michiru whispered.

'_Hopefully for good.' _Seiya thought as he began to form the plans for their wedding. _'How nice of her to pay for the meal.' _The dark haired man grinned. '_Now that Haruka is out of the picture, it's time to start planning the wedding!' _

* * *


	7. Where'd You Go?

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Six: Where did you go?_

* * *

**Disclaimer: **" Where'd you go " is the sole property of Fort Minor. The lyrics were edited by me to keep the cursing out, but other than that, it's the same. I'm only borrowing it. The same goes for anything and everything that is Sailor Moon. I own nothing except my dreams and ideas.

**A/N: **Thanks to my star reviewers. You guys & girls are awesome.

* * *

**Where'd you go?  
I miss you so,  
Seems like it's been forever,  
That you've been gone.**

Michiru sat on her window sill, looking out on the street of Tokyo. It was raining outside and it only seemed as if her mood reflected the weather. Hotaru had fallen asleep on her bed as she normally did for her naps and Seiya too, was sleeping on the couch. Michiru sighed. She wasn't one to voice how she felt even if she was completely miserable. But this was beyond bearable. Haruka had been gone for two weeks straight. Michiru wasn't sure why this had affected her so much. She knew she was attached to always having Haruka around but she didn't know it would cause this much of a problem.

**She said "Some days I feel like crap,  
Some days I wanna quit, and just be normal for a bit,"  
I don't understand why you have to always be gone,  
I get along but the trips always feel so long,**

It just wasn't the same. Seiya kept her company. They even went out last night. They saw a movie in the theaters. Of course, they couldn't stay out too late because Hotaru did have a bed time, but it was nice of him anyways. Michiru bit her lip. No matter how much she tried to convince herself, it still wasn't the same even with Seiya's companionship. Haruka kept invading her thoughts, her smile raiding every time she went to think, and that devilishly sweet grin absolutely refused to leave the back of her mind. It was never like this. Ever since Seiya came down to visit, it felt like Haruka avoided coming home, using every possible excuse to stay out. Michiru wasn't sure what to say. Seiya wasn't doing anything particularly wrong. In fact, Seiya was being quite pleasant. No, she wasn't dumb. She knew there had been something going on between the two and she was sure Seiya was the one who had provoked all of this. But even then, it was the blonde that was being stubborn. It didn't help that Haruka had acquired a strange new habit of lying, either. Michiru pressed her head against the glass, much like Haruka used to, hoping that some sort of connection would occur between the two.

_  
_**And, I find myself trying to stay by the phone,  
'Cause your voice always helps me to not feel so alone,  
But I feel like an idiot, workin' my day around the call,**

Michiru heard the phone ring. She nearly jumped at the sound. It had to have been Haruka. She hadn't called this afternoon. Michiru felt stupid for rushing to the phone as if she were going to miss a chance to save the world but she had to. She couldn't forgive herself if she didn't.

" Hi Michiru. "

Michiru could hear the blonde laughing in the background. A part of her cringed, knowing Haruka was having more fun than she had for the past two weeks. Had Haruka even realized how much she had been missed, not just by Hotaru but by herself as well?

" Hi. " Michiru wanted to say something more, anything. But somehow the words weren't forming in her mind and she couldn't bring herself to say anything more than short responses.

" How's Hotaru? "

" Well. She misses you. "

" I know. I told my manager that I had to stop racing but he's refusing to let me do so. Something about the contract terms he already wrote up. " Haruka paused. " How has your day gone? "

" Normal, as usual. "

Haruka hesitated, not sure of what to say. " Okay, well, I'll try to be home tonight. If not, I'll stay with a friend. I don't want to wake anyone by coming home too late. " The blonde waited for a response but when she finally received it, it wasn't the one she was hoping for.

" Bye. " Michiru whispered, almost inaudibly, as she hung up the phone. How could Haruka be so dense? Not once did she think of coming home. She probably wasn't even planning to show up that night either. What kind of lame excuse would she pull tomorrow, the day after? Why couldn't Haruka just say she wanted to walk away? It would have made Michiru's life that much easier.

_  
_**But when I pick up I don't have much to say,  
So, I want you to know it's a little messed up,  
That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',  
Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,  
Me and the rest of the family here singing "Where'd you go?"**

Haruka promised to stop racing for a while. It wasn't that long ago that she said she wouldn't leave their side. Did her promises come with a guarantee… because Michiru had really wished they did. She sighed and returned to the windowsill. Haruka was so complex. One minute she can't stand to leave her side, then the other moment, she's off trying to win some racing cup that she said she didn't have a passion for.

**I miss you so,  
Seems like it's been forever,  
That you've been gone.  
Where'd you go?  
I miss you so,  
Seems like it's been forever,  
That you've been gone,  
Please come back home...**

Michiru stood up. She couldn't sit her forever. She had to do something with herself or her thoughts would eat her alive. She walked to the kitchen and began to mix together her paints. After a few minutes she was ready to paint. As she made her way to her room, she noticed Seiya sleeping on the couch. He reminded her of a small child, laying there. He was snoring a bit but she thought it was cute. Seiya would probably flip out if she told him he snored but she knew she would never have reason to. She smiled at the thought of Seiya's reactions and then moved back into her room. Without a moment to think, Michiru began to paint. She knew what the object of her painting would be before she even thought about painting.

**You know the place where you used to live,  
Used to barbecue up burgers and ribs,  
Used to have a little party every Halloween with candy by the pile,  
But now, you only stop by every once and a while,  
I find myself just fillin' my time,  
With anything to keep the thought of you from my mind,**

Michiru didn't think it was fair that Haruka would leave. Not like she did. She was being careless. Michiru's strokes became more intense as she became more and more frustrated with her situation. A thought of Hotaru laughing in the hands of her papa found its way into her mind and she just about gave up. Haruka was being careless about Hotaru's feelings and about hers. Wasn't she? Or was she overreacting? Haruka had every right to do as she wished but she couldn't understand why the blonde had been so distant lately. It started out slow, with Haruka and her having some… complicated conversations and situations. Then on came the lying, or at least, the strange situations that they were constantly being pinned with. Then she started to disappear altogether. Michiru stepped back from her painting. Now that she thought of it, ever since Seiya had extended his stay, Haruka had been leaving the house like she was now. But what was the big deal? It wasn't like Seiya posed a threat to Haruka, or at least it wasn't that way in her own eyes. Yet, the blonde seemed to have been acting as if that were the case.

**I'm doin' fine, I plan to keep it that way,  
You can call me if you find that you have something to say,  
And I'll tell you, I want you to know it's a little messed up,  
That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',  
Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,  
Me and the rest of the family here singing "Where'd you go?"**

Michiru gave up painting for the moment. Her frustration was becoming distracting but also, a factor of emotional destruction. The aqua-haired girl returned to the windowsill. She couldn't bring herself to forget what Haruka had said two weeks ago, at the restaurant. It hurt her to hear the blonde make assumptions about her that weren't true. But how could she blame Haruka? It wasn't like she intervened in the conversation. She simply let Haruka run when she had the chance to convince her not to.

**I miss you so,  
Seems like it's been forever,  
That you've been gone.**

Michiru wasn't sure what to do anymore. She could always ask Seiya to leave but even if she did that, he was sure to stay in some hotel and visit her every day anyways. Her parents were happy they were spending time together but it seemed like she was sacrificing something way more important just to be in her parent's good graces. She would much rather have Haruka be with her, now. It felt as if she lost a part of her. They were close friends and they would talk about everything. There wasn't a memory in her mind that didn't include Haruka. She was surprised at how well they had bonded in such a short period of time. Michiru had come to rely on the blonde for a lot of things. Haruka had always been there for her, through thick and thin. And now it felt like she was just realizing it, even though she was quite aware of it from point blank.

**Where'd you go?  
I miss you so,  
Seems like it's been forever,  
That you've been gone,  
Please come back home...**

Michiru was afraid to admit that she needed Haruka. At first, she could handle it. There wasn't a problem. Then after the third day it started to set in. It was almost like reality didn't feel like hitting her until much later. Not seeing the blonde made her feel empty and full of nothingness. It was the worst feeling in the world. She was lucky that she had Hotaru or else she was sure she would have lost it long ago.

**I want you to know it's a little messed up,  
That I'm stuck here waitin', no longer debatin',  
Tired of sittin' and hatin' and makin' these excuses,  
For why you're not around, and feeling so useless,**

The aqua-haired girl moved to the bed, tired of watching the rain fall against the window, mercilessly. The weather outside only did wonders in dampening her already dreadful mood.

**It seems one thing has been true all along,  
You don't really know what you've got 'til it's gone,  
I guess I've had it with you and your career,  
When you come back I won't be here and you can sing it...**

A part of her wanted to talk to Haruka. To ask her why she had been so cold lately but she knew it was useless. She already tried to meet up with the blonde several times but Haruka refused to meet her. There was always some reason as to why she couldn't show up. _'Maybe she doesn't want to do this anymore. Maybe she's scared of losing her life to this family…' _**  
**  
**Where'd you go?  
I miss you so,**

Michiru traced her fingers along Hotaru's jaw, grateful that such a wonderful child had made her way into her life. Hotaru had changed everything for her. She might not have been the girl's real mom, but having their little family with Haruka, made up for that fact.

**Seems like it's been forever,  
That you've been gone.**

But maybe Haruka didn't want to have a family anymore. Maybe that's why she had been gone for so long. She hadn't even left word as to why or what she would be doing. She must not have cared.

**Where'd you go?  
I miss you so,**

But Michiru sincerely hoped that wasn't the case…

**Seems like it's been forever,  
That you've been gone,**

" Haruka…. " Michiru murmured as she felt her eyelids get heavy as she lay on her bed. Within a few seconds she was fast asleep.

**Please come back home...**

Haruka pulled up to the building she had been so accustomed to arriving at and she stared at it for at least a couple of minutes. This was the third time today she had been home but not really home. She could never gather enough courage to waltz into Michiru's apartment. She knew she owed the smaller girl at least an explanation as to her behavior. Even she was confused as to why she hadn't come home in two weeks.

**  
Please come back home...**

It wasn't like she didn't visit the apartment every day. Haruka sighed and pulled off her helmet. What was holding her back? Why couldn't she return to her own home? She was sure Michiru was, in the very least, offended by her constant excuses as to why she couldn't come home. Michiru even tried to bribe her by making her favorite food for her last week. But it didn't work. Haruka just couldn't come home.

**Please come back home...**

The blonde knew for sure that it was Seiya that had driven her to the lengths that she had gone. He was the one to plant the bear in her car and he was the one to constantly try to make her look like the fiend. Yet it was him whose intentions were clear from the start… why did Michiru choose to harbor Seiya when she knew that all he wanted was for her to join him in marriage?

**Please come back home...**

Haruka finally put down her helmet. She couldn't take it anymore. She missed Hotaru and she missed Michiru. She would endure countless torture from Michiru for leaving if it meant that she would see her two most favorite people in the world. The blonde walked up two flights of stairs before she reached her door. She fumbled with her keys for a bit, obviously nervous and not sure what to say. When she opened it, she noticed that the whole apartment was too quiet. Seiya had apparently crashed out on the couch, drooling all over the place. Haruka rolled her eyes in disgust. And while she loathed seeing Seiya, she was content knowing that Michiru wasn't spending time with him while she was gone.

Haruka made her way to their room and opened the door. As quiet as she could be, she tip toed over to the bed and took off her shoes. She caught them sleeping and while she knew she would love to wake Michiru up just to be yelled at, she couldn't bear to wake them up. Both of them looked like angels. Not just any angels, her angels. A smile came across her face as she took her spot to the left of Hotaru. The blonde placed a kiss upon the child's forehead but soon found herself watching Michiru. The smaller girl's locks had fallen into her face and Haruka couldn't resist. She pushed the strands of hair from Michiru's face and relished the soft skin her hand fell upon. Haruka smiled, more happy than she had been in a while. She was finally home. And with that thought weighing in her mind, the tall blonde fell asleep.

**Please come back home...**


	8. A Brilliant Idea

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Seven: A brilliant idea_

* * *

After Haruka had woken up, she noticed that everyone in the apartment had been gone. She was surprised that none of them had woken her up intentionally or unintentionally. _'Did I make the right move coming back?' _Haruka stood up and headed to the front room, noticing plates had been set out on the table. _'There are only three…' _Haruka sighed inwardly. Maybe she was wrong to think Michiru had missed her. There were only three sets of dinnerware on the table. Three sets. One for Hotaru. One for Michiru. One for Seiya.

How could she have been misled? She was sure Michiru sounded hurt when they talked on the phone. Could she have been entirely wrong? Haruka went to the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator:

_**Haruka, **_

_**Hotaru and I are out with Seiya. Will be back later.**_

_**Michiru. **_

"Are out?" Haruka mumbled to herself. "What does that mean?" This was worse than she thought. Not only did Michiru sound cold when addressing her, Seiya was already making his move against her.

The blonde pulled out a picture from her wallet. The last two weeks were unexpectedly fun. If those two were going to their own lives, she couldn't stop them. But she wouldn't let them take Hotaru from her. Hotaru was her everything. The small child was one of the best things that happened to her life. _'I should call Rei. If they're going to have a private dinner tonight, then it makes no sense to drop in on it.' _Haruka dropped the picture on the counter when she heard the phone ring.

"Hello?" Haruka answered.

"Haruka?"

'_Michiru…' _The sweet voice of the aqua-haired girl filled her ears. "Yes, it's me."

"Of course it is." Michiru replied though the tone in her voice was unreadable. "Did you need anything from the store?"

'_She's not mad?' _"Where are you?" _'Or maybe she is mad and she's hiding it.' _

"Grocery store. I just called to see if you needed anything before we left."

"I don't think so." Haruka wanted to say more. They hadn't talked since she came home last night and she was dying just to hear the other girl say something of meaning. "Thanks." Came Haruka when she realized Michiru had nothing more to her.

"Okay, bye."

Before Haruka could return the farewell, the phone hung up. _'No, she's mad at me. I can tell.' _Haruka rolled her eyes. _'Coming back was a bad idea.' _The blonde turned off all the lights in the house and grabbed her wallet. _'I'll go see Rei. Then come back after dinner. I don't want to intrude.' _

Haruka was about to leave when the phone rang again. _'She wants to talk!' _Haruka almost jumped in joy at the thought of Michiru wanting to talk to her. "Hello?"

"Ah yes, is Michiru there?"

The blonde was disappointed to hear an elderly man had called and not Michiru. "No, I'm sorry, she's not in right now." Haruka heard the same disappointment emanating from this man's voice but, he didn't stop there.

"May I leave a message?"

"Sure, sure. Let me grab a pen real quick." Haruka frantically looked for something to write with. Any call for Michiru was an important one. Finally, she picked up a crayon of Hotaru's. "Okay, I'm ready."

"This is Izanagi, her former agent. Could you have her call me back. She should have my number."

"What's this in regards to?"

"I was hoping that she would come back to playing. She hasn't returned my calls for quite some time now."

"Okay, I'll pass the message on. It's been a pleasure speaking with you." Haruka hung up the phone after formal farewells had been exchanged. _'I completely overlooked that.' _Haruka rested her head on the cabinet. _'How could I be so inconsiderate? She gave up her career for Hotaru as well… how could I forget that? I haven't asked her once about how she's been since she had to stop playing.' _Haruka felt like a the world's biggest jerk. She was supposed to be Michiru's friend and all she had been lately was selfish. Haruka grabbed her keys. _'I know what I will do.' _Haruka grinned at the ingenious plan that was forming in her head.

* * *

"Thanks for the help, Seiya." Michiru was gracious that Seiya had taken a more active role in her life. He had shown her parts of him that he didn't normally show. Believe it or not, she found parts of him that weren't rude, mean or even selfish.

"You know Michiru, I really admire you." He commented as he helped her finish bringing in the last of the groceries.

"What do you mean?" Michiru asked a bit confused. They went from talking about small things to something that she predicted would be deep.

"At first, I was judgmental of the family you have here. But now that I've gotten to know Hotaru… well, it's been a blast. Hotaru is a wonderful kid. I think anyone, rich or poor, famous or not famous, would do anything for her. But, I admire you because you're the one who sacrificed your passion for Hotaru. Haruka may have done the same but… she hasn't recognized what I have. That is to say, she doesn't even realize how much you've given up for all of this."

"Haruka realizes it, I'm sure." Michiru replied though she was uncertain to how true her words were. She wasn't completely dense.

"Have you ever told her how you feel about it?"

"No." Michiru whispered. After thinking about it long enough, it honestly seemed as though Haruka didn't care. She didn't mind putting Hotaru and Haruka first, but thoughts of losing her passion hurt deeply. Had Haruka not even cared? Michiru put the bag of groceries on the counter and was about to open the cabinet when she noticed a piece of paper had slipped off the counter. _'What's this?' _Michiru picked up the paper, which actually turned out being a picture.

"What's that?" Seiya asked with curiosity from behind her. "Oh, a picture of Haruka and Rei. Where'd you get that from?"

Michiru felt like she couldn't breathe. After all this time that she had worried herself over the blonde, after all this time that she wished for Haruka to come back, the blonde had been out partying and having fun… not just with anyone but with Rei.

"It's not mine." Michiru said coldly as she placed the picture back where she found it - on the floor.

Seiya noticed this action and became fully aware of what Michiru was probably thinking. He rolled his eyes when she wasn't looking in his direction. _'After these past two weeks with me she's still jealous. I've complimented her day and day out. None of it has worked and yet, one picture of Haruka and Rei, practically all over each other has got her feeling more emotions than she's felt for me while Haruka has been gone.' _Seiya had to let it go. There was nothing he could except let the events unravel. Michiru had to be in love with the blonde if everything he had done thus far hadn't phased her. _'I'll just have to try harder.' _

"Momma, where's papa?" Hotaru tugged on Michiru's skirt lightly. "I looked all over for papa but I can't find her." Hotaru looked almost as if she were going to start crying.

"Hotaru!" Seiya picked her up and swung her around in the air. He was happy to see that her frown had dissipated and, while she wasn't smiling, it was still progress. "Come on, why don't we go play?" Seiya took Hotaru out of the kitchen and into the front room.

'_Hotaru… I'm so sorry… I don't know where she is.' _Michiru was angry but one look into Hotaru's face was enough to bring her back to sadness.

* * *

"Is this Izanagi?" Haruka asked trying to remember what his voice sounded like as she rushed through a store. There were a few things she had to get. A smile came across her face. The items in her arms were very expensive but she didn't pick them because they were expensive, she picked them because they reminded her of Michiru.

"Yes, I am speaking."

"Evening sir, I have a proposition to make for you." Haruka replied.


	9. 2 Week Vacation With Rei?

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Eight: Two Week Vacation With Rei?_

* * *

When Haruka went home the sounds of her victory faded away as a rather angry Michiru had almost threw her out of the apartment. The blonde stood bewildered at the door way. Michiru didn't say much except that they needed to talk and with that sort of talk, Haruka knew she was in big, big, big trouble. After Michiru stepped outside with Haruka, she held up a picture in her hand.

"What's this?"

Haruka flinched. _'Rei's picture of us…' _"Looks like a picture, Michiru."

"Of course it is. You know what the picture is of?"

The blonde cleared her throat, a bit uncomfortable by this entirely new Michiru. She tried to step back into the hall way but found a cold, hard, wall. "Looks like a picture of … two people!" _'Ugh, I have to think fast.' _

"Are you avoiding the point?"

"What point?" Haruka asked dumbly. "Michiru are you feeling well?"

"That's it, blame your partying on a sickness that I don't have. REAL MATURE." Michiru was about to walk back into the room but Haruka was too defensive to allow this fight to end on Michiru's remark.

"Mature?! You expect me to be mature with that ANIMAL in the house?" Haruka placed a finger on her chin. "Come to think of it, Michiru, the apartment limit for pets in the house is fifteen pounds. Seiya is WAY over that limit." The blonde pretended as if she were sad. "What a shame. I guess we'll have to send him back."

"This has nothing to do with Seiya and everything to do with you not being there for Hotaru. Do you realize how torn up she is about not seeing you?" Michiru pushed Haruka up against the wall again. "You left her and now she's asking questions as to why."

'_Hotaru…' _Haruka's eyes drifted to the floor when memories of the little girl found their way into her mind. "Why don't you have Seiya take my place?!" Haruka shot out, trying to forget how much she loved Hotaru. "Yeah, that's it. He would be a perfect dad." Haruka slid around Michiru's hold, leaving her at a weak point. "Then there wouldn't be anymore problems… seeing as how you guys are so happy."

"Is that what you think?" Michiru felt her eyes get blurry as a rage inside of her intensified ten fold.

"No, that's what you think! You want to replace me so bad, then do it! I'm sure Seiya will make Hotaru forget about me. As for you, I can already see that you prefer his companionship to mine." Haruka was breathing heavily, not due to any physical condition, but because she was infuriated beyond her normal state of mind.

"Baka! Do you not see how much Hotaru needs you? It doesn't matter if Seiya is here or not, the only one you're hurting by playing these games, is her. Do you not love her?" Michiru refused to let Haruka walk away from a child that adored her like no other.

"Of course I do!" Haruka felt a tear run down her cheek at the thought of how much pain she might have caused her sweet daughter. _'Hotaru… I'm so sorry…' _

"No you don't!"

"I love her as much as I love you!" Haruka cut in, stealing a brief kiss from Michiru. _'Nani?' _Haruka stepped back, after feeling the kiss wasn't returned. _'What have I done?' _The blonde licked her lips knowing that she was at a loss of words. "Gomen, Michiru."

"Leave. If you want to see Hotaru, then you can come pick her up. But don't come back." Michiru stated firmly and coldly. The blonde staggered back as if the words were physical blows to her stamina. "Make sure you call before you think of coming over." Haruka, obviously hurt and enraged by the aqua-haired girl's words, took off running down the hallway. When Haruka was far from sight Michiru fell to her knees, weakened by the blonde's stunning kiss. _'She kissed me…' _"What have I done?" _'She kissed me… ' _Michiru couldn't help but keep repeating those words in her mind. _'Why would she do such a stupid thing?' _Michiru found enough strength to get up and maintain her composure. _'That kiss meant nothing.' _Michiru assured herself as she walked back in the apartment as if nothing had happened. But even Michiru knew that her forced thoughts betrayed her true emotions.

* * *

"I don't know what happened." Haruka admitted as she leaned against the dock railing, looking on to the deep blue ocean. The waved were unbelievably brutal as they crashed upon the rock beneath them. "I think I was mad, or maybe sad, probably a mixture of both." The blonde sighed and resigned her chin to the railing as if posing in a defeated position.

"Did she kiss you back?" Rei asked, curious as to how exactly the whole scene played out. "If she kissed you back, then Seiya's fate is sealed!" Rei then stopped, wondering how the fight began to begin with. "Wait, why was Michiru mad? I still don't understand that part."

"Oh, must have left that part out." Haruka pulled out the picture that Michiru had thrown at her in blind rage. "I think I left this picture on the counter when I came home. I didn't mean to but I had to catch the phone; I must not have put it back in my wallet."

"What picture would cause her to go crazy?" Haruka blushed as she handed the picture to Rei. "This picture!?! How could you be so careless?" Rei was to the point of yelling when Haruka began to rub her temples. "Sorry, I guess I forgot you've already been yelled at today." Rei crossed her arms like a child. "That's okay because tomorrow I will yell at you for being such an idiot."

"I know already! A stupid picture caused all of this." Haruka mumbled.

"You think it's stupid?" Rei had a hurt tone in her voice as she was addressing Haruka.

"No! No, that's not it. I just can't believe a picture can have that big of an effect on someone, you know?" Haruka shrugged.

"Unless… she was already mad. That would make a lot more sense. What else have you done that has made her angry in the past month?"

Haruka sweat dropped. "Oh geez Rei… that might take forever to list out on paper. Besides, I don't want to kill all the trees but you get my point, right?" Rei only smiled, trying to help her friend figure out why Michiru was so mad to begin with. Then she leaned in on Haruka to gain some warmth from the cool night. "Do you think what I did was wrong?"

Rei was never the one to make someone even more sad at a situation so she had to find a way to cheer her friend up. "Well, it's undecided. I mean, you two got in a fight, which is strange because it was over a picture." Rei looked over at Haruka who had a distant look in her eyes. "I'm trying to figure out if it was the picture of you and me, or you not being there for Hotaru."

"Obviously not the picture. Why would she get mad seeing a picture of you and me? That wouldn't make any sense. It has to be that I wasn't there for Hotaru." Haruka replied, defeated. "Which, she's right. I'm a horrible person for not coming to see Hotaru. I'm sure she is devastated by my behavior. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I was angry and thought that Seiya was going to take my place."

"I don't know about him taking your place in Michiru's eyes… but Hotaru sounds like she really does love you. I don't think you could ever be replaced in her eyes." Rei patted Haruka on the back, hopefully to calm the tall blonde down. "Come on, why don't you stay at my place for the night?"

'_I don't know if that's a good idea.' _Haruka thought. She still wasn't absolutely certain that it wasn't Rei that made Michiru mad, though she couldn't remember a lot of times that a girl in Haruka's life had made this big of an impact. But the point was, Michiru could be jealous of Rei, even if they were only friends. _'That would make more sense… that she would be jealous of our friendship.' _

"Haruka?"

"Hai?"

"Did you want to stay at my place for the night?"

Haruka smiled over at Rei. _'I can't be rude…besides, how will Michiru find out?' _"I would love that. Thanks."

* * *

**Toss. Turn. Toss. Turn.**

Haruka finally jumped out of her bed, sweating. _'This is irritating. Why can't I sleep?' _The tall blonde stood up somewhat confused as to her recent behavior. Michiru and Hotaru would not leave her mind the entire night. It was almost two in the morning and all that Haruka wanted to do was sleep. _'It hasn't even been a full day since she fought with me. I can't go see her. I'm sure she's still mad… and sleeping too.' _

"Hey, is everything okay?"

Haruka looked up at the door to find a sleepy Rei standing at it. "Gomen, I didn't know I made so much noise." The blonde looked over her pillow feeling guilty for waking up the raven-haired girl. "I couldn't sleep." Haruka murmured. Rei was about to leave, thinking that the blonde would rather be alone, but instead she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Is it Michiru?" Rei asked, sitting with Haruka.

"…and Hotaru." Haruka added as she laid back on her blanket.

"How long until the proposition you made with Izanagi comes through?"

"Two weeks. But that seems so far away."

"Has Michiru even agreed to do the concert?"

"Hai, Izanagi told her that it was a special request… and even though she didn't agree to at first, she's going to go ahead as planned."

"I don't get how this is going to work as an apology…"

"Well, I'm not too sure how it works myself but I'm sure she would love to go back and play. I was being selfish Rei, I wasn't thinking of Michiru the entire time I was living with her. She too, had to give up something equivalent to my passion. And it's not like either of us don't want Hotaru; she's the best thing that happened to us and worth more that what we've already sacrificed."

"Do you love her?"

"More than the world. Have you ever seen Hotaru laugh?"

"I wasn't talking about Hotaru." Rei glanced over at Haruka who grew as quiet as the night. Without one word, the blonde hid under her covers and fell fast asleep.

* * *


	10. These Feelings of Wanting

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Nine: These Feelings of Wanting_

* * *

It looked warm outside but Michiru didn't have enough courage to venture out. After she had dropped off Hotaru that morning, she received a call from Haruka, of all people. And it wasn't that she didn't want to talk but she still had to think about a few things. Fortunately for her, Haruka didn't call to talk either, she called to see if she could pick up Hotaru after school. Michiru, of course, obliged. To see that radiant smile upon Hotaru's face once more was something that she was willing to sacrifice anything for.

Michiru sighed inwardly at the thought of the tall blonde using her charm upon some random girl, for surely that was what Haruka had been spending her time doing, right? After Michiru had seen the picture of Rei, she knew exactly how much she loved Haruka. Never in her life had she been more jealous of Haruka being with another girl. It was normal though, that she would show her envy over Haruka's various potential girlfriends, but never had she felt so strongly about that picture. She only hoped that Haruka didn't discover her jealousy wasn't over some girl's friendship with her… but again, that was only a hope.

Seiya, try as he might, was doing his best to win her over. That much she knew. It wasn't as if she were a complete idiot. She saw right through his ploys from the beginning and she humored him, because… well, because Haruka wasn't there. Somehow, deep within her, she had hoped that if she ignored the fact that Seiya wanted to be with her then perhaps Haruka would be jealous. _'Hah.' _Michiru scoffed bitterly. _'What would she be jealous of? She only finds both Seiya and I, irritating. I can see it in her eyes.' _At any rate, it mattered not how much Seiya tried to gain her favor, there was only one person her heart had loved. Michiru only had to think of how to get rid of Seiya without totally destroying her parents' respect for her.

Soft, sweet, fantasies of marrying Haruka passed through Michiru's mind. The idea of buying a beautiful wedding dress, seeing Haruka in a dashing tuxedo, having Hotaru be the flower girl… Michiru exhaled deeply. Sweet, lustful, sinful fantasies. But, much to Michiru's dismay these fantasies came and went like the wind being carried off by a strong force.

'_Wouldn't it be nice to have Haruka all to myself? I know she probably isn't aware of my feelings for her… but still… a small little family to ourselves is the only, last thing I would ever wish for.' _Michiru remembered the picture as if it were burned into the back of her mind. _'But she loves Rei…' _The aqua-haired girl finished the last of her new masterpiece, smiling at how idealistic it was. _'Now, if only it were to come true.' _

"Sweetheart…" Michiru cringed at the sound of Seiya calling her such names. When Haruka wasn't present there was no need for her folly with him. Instead, she chose to be cold at worst, uncaring in the least. "Are you ready for the movie?"

'_Only if Haruka is going in your place.' _Michiru flashed a smile that only she knew was false. _'Humor him, Michiru. You'll soon forget of Haruka.' _"Of course I'm ready. I've been waiting all day. Just remember we have to be back by six." Seiya nodded, pleased to see that she was agreeing to finally go on a date with, ALONE.

* * *

"Papa!" Hotaru cried out happily. If there was ever a day Haruka had been proud to be the cause of such a smile, today was that day. "Can we go to the park like you promised?"

"Hai, my love. We can do whatever you want to do today." Haruka gently took hold of Hotaru in her arms, cuddling when possible. The teacher handed her the progress report for Hotaru, leaving Haruka stunned in the very least. "Great marks, Hotaru! I think that means we're going to have to get some ice cream tonight."

"Yay!" Hotaru clapped profusely even though her hands were too small to make any real noise. Haruka felt little hands clasp the front and back of her shirt as she held Hotaru high on her left side. It made her feel incredibly happy to be needed by Hotaru, even after how much she disappointed the girl. She would never do anything to intentionally hurt her and for what damage she had done, she was soon going to make up for it. "Papa, how come mama can't come?"

Haruka hesitated not sure of how to break the news to her daughter. "Because… because tonight I wanted to spend some time with you alone. I haven't been able to do that in a long time." The blonde smiled as she strapped Hotaru into the car and the proceeded to jump in the driver's seat. Haruka was content that Hotaru was satisfied with the answer but the next question was just as hard as the first.

"But how come you don't stay with us anymore?"

"Work, darling. I've been racing…"

"Do you not love me anymore?" Hotaru pouted with tears in her eyes.

"Of course I love you, Hotaru!" Haruka nearly ran off the road when she lent her hand out to the small child in the back. "You know I love you more than the world. Okay?" The blonde kept looking back at her daughter knowing that she was a very, very, fast road hazard waiting to happen.

Hotaru nodded. "But then how come you don't love mama? Mama loves you."

Haruka bit her lip. Hotaru would always say things like that. Things that she never had the courage to ask Michiru about. Almost every time that she came to pick up Hotaru she would say something related to how much Michiru loved her. But every time it was the same; Hotaru would say it with conviction, expecting Haruka to say the same words back. It was in this deep train of thought that she realized she didn't regret kissing Michiru. In fact, she relished every moment up until she came to the realization that Michiru would not return her kiss.

"Papa?"

It was most certainly love that she felt the aqua-haired princess of hers, but it was one-sided at most. Michiru would never love her. They were simply friends. And even if Michiru somehow had feelings for her, Seiya was always an obstacle that would not be easily overcome.

"Papa, do you love mama?"

"Hai, Hotaru. I love your mama very, very, much." Haruka replied, deciding to tell the truth to her insightful daughter. After all, it would only be a matter of time before Hotaru was old enough to recognize the truth from the lies.

"Mama paint'd a big picture." Hotaru said with excitement. Haruka knew well that Hotaru was talking about a painting but Hotaru rarely was attentive long enough to remember Michiru's paintings. "It's pretty. She said she made it with love." Hotaru laughed innocently, meriting a smile from Haruka. "Papa, it's big. It's my favorite one."

"Oh? Is that so?" Haruka asked. "What's the picture of, my love?"

"Papa, Mama and me!"

"A painting of us?" Haruka was confused. Never had she seen a painting of real life people… not from Michiru anyways. There was also some sort of fantasy element or in most cases, the painting was of some premonition or a dream she had experienced. To hear that she was a painting a picture of people, not just any people, their family, was shocking in the very least. Haruka had finally reached her destination after much conversation with Hotaru. However, the idea of the painting lingered in her mind as if that topic remained fresh.

"I want pink ice cream." Hotaru said with determination.

Haruka laughed. "That's what you said last time. Then you refused to eat it because it tasted like bubble gum." The blonde put Hotaru on her shoulders and locked up her expensive car. She noticed a few women staring at her provocatively. They no doubt thought she was a rich, single man, who loved children. And a man like that, apparently was the ideal man to be with. Haruka shrugged. This was the part she wasn't fond of in the mall. She was glad she had Hotaru there to remind these women that she wasn't Both Hotaru and Haruka waved to them and headed off to get the treat of Hotaru's desire.

"But papa…" Hotaru said with a hint of sadness in her voice as she twirled the blonde's hair. "I think I like bubble gum."

"Hai, you said that last time as well!" Haruka grinned knowing that today would be no different. When they walked through the mall doors Haruka planned it perfectly so that Hotaru could touch the top of the door. For some reason, the girl would get a kick out of being able to touch high things, thus the need for Haruka to alter her path slightly was inevitable. The much awaited giggle emerged from Hotaru and the blonde was victorious in her endeavor to keep a smile on her daughter's face.

Haruka had to think of how amusing it was that she went all the way across town to go to the mall that had Hotaru's favorite ice cream shop. No doubt they passed several places that offered the icy treat on the way, but Haruka knew that Hotaru wouldn't have had it any other way. Besides, Hotaru liked picking from the assorted colors. There were so many, she swear Hotaru had a brain overload with having to pick from them.

"I wanna pick." Hotaru was let down and was allowed to make her decision. Haruka decided to take a seat; she would be here forever at this rate. The blonde laughed. Haruka's eyes shifted uneasily as she caught an unmistakable color out of the corner of her eye: aqua-marine. It was the same beautiful hair belonging to the woman that she had often found herself dreaming of, even if there was nothing in reality that would ever allow such a beautiful dream to come true. Haruka kept her focus on Hotaru; she wanted no trouble whatsoever and with Michiru being accompanied by a predictable guest, the chances of trouble increased ten-fold. "Papa, I want the pink one!"

Haruka stood up, nodding. She quickly ordered a small cup of bubble gum flavored ice cream and a large cup of mint ice cream but she knew with how busy the attendant was, there was enough time for Michiru to drop by and say hi.

And that's exactly what she did.

"Hi Hotaru." Michiru crouched down to Hotaru's level, allowing the small child to embrace her in a fierce hug. The two stayed like that for moments on end, leaving Seiya and Haruka in an entirely different world. Haruka admired the fact that the same effect she had on Hotaru was equally emitted by Michiru. It was as if they were the best parents to Hotaru, the only ones chosen for the job, thus making them rockstar parents. Haruka smiled at the thought of having a small little family, just the three of them. But however idealistic she managed to be there were always obstacles that shattered her dreams.

"I didn't think we would see you here." Seiya growled, irritated that his date had been intervened. "Of all places, Haruka, really." The blonde refused to argue with the other man, he simply was ignorant, stupid and only caused trouble for her.

"Here you go, one pink ice cream for the young lady." The man handed both cups of ice cream to Haruka. "And one large mint ice cream, enjoy!"

"Thanks." Haruka said, gratefully.

"Oh? Hotaru gets ice cream?" Michiru arched her eyebrow at her daughter, watching as she practically started dancing to relieve her excitement. "What's the celebration for?"

"Mama I got good marks!" Hotaru jumped up several times as she reached out for her bubble gum ice cream. Michiru glanced over at Haruka who was happy to oblige her daughter.

"It's true. Excellent marks at that." Haruka whispered to Michiru as Hotaru ran to a nearby table to eat her ice cream. Michiru stood next to Haruka, closing Seiya out of their discussion without meaning to do so.

"I thought she didn't like bubblegum." Michiru stated, a bit perplexed by Hotaru's choice.

"Oh, she doesn't." Haruka grinned. "She'll remember in about… five… four…"

"…three, two… one."

"What's wrong?" Haruka and Michiru laughed after Hotaru took her first bite. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

'_Sweetheart…' _Michiru mused as she heard the words roll off of Haruka's tongue. When it came from the mouth of the tall blonde, the words were like music to her ears. It was as if one murmur from Haruka's lips had transformed the meaning of the word, turning it into something extravagant. _'I wish she would call me that…' _Michiru blushed at the thought but quickly discarded it, knowing it wouldn't come true.

"Papa, I don't think this is pink ice cream." Hotaru mentioned with a bit of a pout in her expression.

Michiru giggled. "Oh honey, that is pink ice cream." Hotaru had a look of confusion in her face, trying to remember if her mama was right or if she indeed was right.

"But it tastes funny." Hotaru admitted. Haruka smiled as she took away Hotaru's pink ice cream, handing it to Michiru. "What's this?" Hotaru asked as she felt another cup of ice cream being pushed into her hands. "This is green ice cream."

"Hai but you will like it." Haruka winked, motioning for Hotaru to try it. Much to everyone's satisfaction, the girl began to consume it at an alarming rate, meriting smiles from both of her parents.

"How did you know?" Michiru asked amused.

"Because that's what I had last time when she told me she didn't want pink ice cream. I keep telling her that she doesn't like it but she continues to get it." Haruka admired her daughter from afar; Hotaru was certainly the cutest child on earth.

"You know her well." Michiru commented as she fell into a dream of having a little family together. She came out of her thoughts, almost agitated, when she felt Seiya nudge her gently in the back. "Oh, that's right. Hai, well, we have a movie to catch. I'll see you back at my apartment later on."

"Seven good?" Haruka silently hoped Michiru would allow the child to stay with her for an hour longer than she requested before.

"That should be right."

"Okay." Haruka waved to Michiru, wishing that she wouldn't have left. When they were together she felt entirely whole. That feeling came less and less to her. Of course, that much she figured would happen when she lost the other love of her life. Haruka knew that she would only be satiated if she had Hotaru and Michiru at the same time. But fate was too cruel, much too cruel for her own liking.

* * *

Haruka smiled from a bench at the park. With Hotaru continuously rubbing her eyes, it only meant one thing: she was tired. The blonde stood up, discarding her newspaper in the trash and headed over to pick up her daughter. Hotaru had made quite a few friends in the past two hours that she had been playing with. Haruka felt warm inside when she knew Hotaru was thoroughly happy and content.

"Hotaru is that your papa?" One of the little boys asked, almost in awe. Hotaru turned around, excited to see Haruka and jumped into the tall blonde's arms. "I wish my papa was as cool as yours." The boy said as he skipped away to play with some other of the children.

"Hi sweetheart." Haruka placed her forehead against Hotaru's which provoked a smirk from the tiny girl. "Did you have fun today?" Hotaru nodded and Haruka pulled her head away from Hotaru, allowing the child to rest on her shoulder. In about three minutes the child would be fast asleep; Haruka was only making preparations for that.

"Excuse me!" A woman with fiery orange hair stepped next to Haruka, keeping pace with the tall blonde. "Hi, my name is Reiko."

"Nice to meet you, Reiko." Haruka had recognized this woman as the one who wouldn't stop staring at her for the time she had been there. The blonde of course wasn't phased with someone's eyes constantly examining her, she was simply curious as to what the girl wanted. "My name is Haruka."

"Ah, yes, this much I know. I was wondering if this was your child?"

"Of course, this is Hotaru."

"She's very cute. Are you a single parent?"

Haruka thought about it for a moment. Was she a single parent? She could say yes and that would technically be the truth. But, she could say no, somehow hoping that one day Michiru would take her back.

"It doesn't bother me, if that's what you want to know."

"Huh?"

"Being a single parent doesn't bother me." Haruka repeated, somewhat surprised that the girl didn't understand her the first time. _'She reminds me of Usagi in way.' _Haruka laughed at the comparison.

"Oh. So you are a single parent." The woman looked down towards the ground. "Is that why you left racing?"

"To be with Hotaru, yes." Haruka had to be careful with her words. She didn't regret leaving the circuit but she would regret it if she phrased her intentions inaccurately. "Racing was my life until I met my daughter. Now I can't be away from her for very long before my life turns upside down." Haruka was relieved to see that she wasn't very far from her car.

"Okay, well, if you ever want to hang out - I'm a single parent too - then here." Reiko scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Haruka just as she reached her car. "Maybe our children can play together. My son was the one playing with your daughter, by the way."

"Ah. That makes sense. What's your son's name?" Haruka said quietly as she strapped a sleeping Hotaru into the back seat.

"Masa."

"Very well. I'll look into it. But, I would have to run it by Hotaru's mother."

"Oh? She's still around?" Reiko asked, taken aback by the information.

"Very much so." Haruka winked. "I'll see you around, Reiko. It was a pleasure meeting you." The blonde slipped into the front seat and started her car. She knew that by mentioning Michiru, whatever Reiko had been planning, would be crushed. _'She's a sweet girl… but all I need is for another girl to cause more drama in my fragmented life.' _Haruka sighed, pulling away from the park. Memories of the park flood her mind as she remembered how much it had meant to her. It was one place that held so many of Hotaru's memories. The place that Michiru and Haruka used to come to often when they were younger, and as a result, held many of their memories. It was the park that Haruka loved with everything she had. Pulling away from it was like pulling away from her past. She longed so much to see the one woman that would normally be occupying her passenger seat. It wasn't like Haruka couldn't find someone to sit in that seat, to become her girlfriend, to share her life for the next twenty years… but she didn't want to. She wanted Michiru to be that everything. _'Yeah, but I've ruined any chance that I could have had with her.' _Haruka bit her lip in defeat. It always worked like this. When ever Haruka had come close to having what she wanted, it slipped from her grasp, never to return. Haruka was afraid that Michiru might have done the same, though she wished with everything that she was made of, that Michiru hadn't.

After a gloomy, quiet, ride home, Haruka had finally pulled up to her old apartment. She looked reluctantly upon the window to Michiru's room. That's where she would normally sit, watching the cars pass by, reflecting on every aspect of her life. She never thought she would standing under it, watching the cars pass by, reflecting on how much she wanted to be with Michiru. Haruka cradled Hotaru in her arms as she made her way up the stairs. There were so many things she could say. So many that she wanted to say. Yet, even she knew that when she got up there, she would probably say very little. It was pointless to even plan what she wanted to say; it wasn't like she would gather enough strength to say it anyways. Haruka knocked on the front door, lightly. When she heard someone unlocking it from the inside, she seemingly lost her breath.

Seiya.

That was the last person she wanted to see open her door. She would rather a youma open the door and greet her happily than to see Seiya standing before her with a smug look upon her face. Haruka took a deep breath as she pondered whether or not she should hand Hotaru to him.

'_Be pleasant, Haruka.' _"Evening, Seiya. May I please speak to Michiru?" Haruka asked as politely as possibly. She could tell Seiya was surprised to hear such nice words come from her mouth, it was written all over his face.

"Yeah, come in." Seiya remembered how much he hated her and decided to say his part of the greeting with a lack of interest.

Haruka stepped in the door and closed it behind her. She was but a foot into the apartment; she didn't want to make herself comfortable in case anything misfortunate decided to happen to her.

"Haruka?" Michiru came out from her room, looking as if she had just taken a shower. Haruka swallowed hard. The woman before her was absolutely gorgeous. There was nothing in the world she wouldn't have given at that point, to simply wrap her arms around the water nymph before her. "Gomen, I must have lost track of time."

"It's not a problem."

"Is she sleeping?" Michiru asked as she motioned for Haruka to follow her. They went into the back room, leaving Seiya in the front. Michiru made some room on her bed for Hotaru to lay. When she finished, Haruka silently placed Hotaru on the bed. She was reluctant to leave her daughter but she knew she would be able to see her again. Perhaps she would spend her free time longing to be with her but Haruka was grateful that Michiru was Hotaru's mother, for it allowed Haruka to see Hotaru as much as possible.

"Thanks for spending time with her." Michiru didn't know what else to say. How about - Haruka please don't leave? Or, Haruka I love you and I can't stand to be without you? Michiru shook her head. She was being silly.

"Uh, Michiru…" Haruka looked over at her, somewhat blushing.

"Hmm?" Michiru glanced at Haruka and then her eyes widened. Haruka, with as much effort as possible, was trying to free herself from Hotaru's grip. But apparently, in the child's sleep, she didn't want to let go of her papa. "Let's see…" Michiru tried to pry Hotaru's fingers off Haruka's shirt and was successful only in waking Hotaru.

"Papa… don't leave." Hotaru had tears in her eyes. "Don't leave, papa." Haruka pulled away, gritting her teeth to hold back the pain that had resurfaced due to the child's words. "Papa, I love you. Why are you leaving?" Haruka felt the tone in Hotaru's voice was the most heart wrenching tone she had ever heard. Never once had Hotaru looked so completely helpless.

Michiru watched, silently waiting. This wasn't something she wanted to face although she knew eventually Hotaru would bring it up; she still wasn't prepared for the heartbreak she would feel. Her eyes drifted to Haruka who looked upon Hotaru with an inexplicable expression on her face. If Michiru would have to put words to it, Haruka looked like she was in an immense amount of pain.

"I love you too, sweetheart. But papa has to go home now." Haruka held back the urge to shed the same tears that were now freely falling down Hotaru's face.

"Papa, don't leave! I don't want you to leave! Stay!" When Hotaru started screaming, Michiru decided to take over. It hurt her to see both of her girls in so much pain.

"Hotaru, come here darling." Michiru scooped up her wailing child, giving Haruka the opportunity to take off, but she didn't. "Haruka…" Michiru stopped herself when she noticed Haruka had approached her and wrapped her arms around the both of them. Then without saying much, Haruka brought the two of them into a slow dance. Hotaru suddenly stopped crying, feeling the embrace of both of her parents.

Michiru's heart beat sped up a thousand times. Feeling Haruka's arms wrap around her made her feel like she was secure. . Haruka had closed her eyes as she rested her forehead on Michiru's, relishing the moment for what it was. There was no other place she would have rather been, except in Haruka's arms. Michiru wasn't sure what to do except to enjoy the few minutes her dream had made decided to make itself reality.

Haruka finally released her grip on Michiru after hearing Hotaru sleeping soundly. With a set of pain-filled eyes, the blonde helped herself out, leaving Michiru in more of an emotional wreck than when she first started out being.

* * *


	11. Michiru Strikes Back, Part I

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Ten: Michiru Strikes Back, Part I_

* * *

AN: You wouldn't believe what happened. My Rockstar is flat. Yes, that means that I am angry and what should I do when I am angry?! Spread my wrath to my fics. Muahahah! I'm only kidding, but I am bummed out that my Rockstar was flat. Btw, if anyone is wondering where "Rockstar Parents" came from, the answer lies in the fact that when I was writing this, I was drinking a Rockstar, like the energy drink. And, upon drinking it, I came up with this strange idea to produce something about Hotaru's parents... Haruka and Michiru. Thus, the simple name of "Rockstar Parents" was created. It was also named this because I think Haruka and Michiru would be awesome parents... and thus, they should be appropriately named as Rockstar Parents. Ah, anyways.

On a serious note, gomen, I haven't updated my stories in some time. I'm working on finishing some of them so I can put more out. AND sorry, I know this chapter is short but it's because ... well I have no good reason. heh. The other one will be up shortly.

* * *

'Stupid, stupid, stupid…' Michiru cried silently as she watched Hotaru sleep, much like she had as of lately. How could she be that close to having the one thing she had been longing for? How could she be that close and do absolutely nothing? It wasn't just the fact that Michiru had been intimately close with Haruka while they were dancing, it was also the fact that Haruka had so intensely articulated her emotions by simply kissing her. And what did she do in response? What was her excellent come back? There was none. Haruka had confessed her love, though Michiru wasn't sure how much of it was true, Haruka had said it in anger. But even if this were so, Michiru still didn't respond. There was nothing that she said or did that could have possibly told Haruka how much she loved her.

Michiru glanced over the painting that she knew Haruka hadn't seen, for if she did, then Haruka might have a clue as to how Michiru felt about her. All she wanted these days was for her family to continue being that which it already was: perfect. Now, it seemed less and less possible for that to happen.

Poor Seiya. There hadn't been much of a chance for him, even if she wanted it to be that way. First of all, she wasn't at all attracted to men, rich or not. Second, although Seiya had his sweet moments, she could tell he was hiding a venomous snake that he probably unleashed upon Haruka when she wasn't present. It was obvious. Haruka held an unspoken hatred for Seiya. Poor Haruka. It was hard for her to believe that she had let this go as far as she had. It wasn't her intentions to hurt Haruka. It was never so. All she wanted was for the blonde to return and stay home.

The picture of Rei and Haruka haunted Michiru every where she went. Often she would wonder if they truly shared something that she was unaware of. After all, where was Haruka staying? For close to three weeks now, Haruka hadn't been at home; it was only reasonable for her to assume Haruka was being harbored at Rei's house. If not there, then where? Michiru cringed at the thought of Haruka holding Rei… talking to Rei… comforting Rei…

It did Michiru no good to think of what she didn't have. All she could was think of how to solve the situation as much as possible. If she couldn't have Haruka, then she would take away the one thing that was hurting Haruka: Seiya. Every time she came over, Michiru could see pain in Haruka's eyes. It hurt Michiru to see such pain because it wasn't as if she simply saw it, Michiru could feel the pain that lingered in the blonde's heart.

'What am I going to do?' Michiru loved Haruka. And if the signs were a good indication of Haruka's feelings for her, then she probably had a decent chance with the blonde. But, again, where did Rei fit in the picture? If Michiru somehow returned the feelings… was there a chance that Haruka would reject her for Rei?

Michiru closed her eyes. Letting the tears come to a slow stop. The kiss had been so fresh in her mind. Nothing had ever tasted so pure in her life. Granted, she was surprised to have been kissed at all, or for Haruka to admit that she loved her, but she relished it nonetheless. Michiru bit her lip. There was nothing in the world that wasn't worth it to her; she would win Haruka back. She would take back the life she once had. Only, it might take her some time.

'First things first. I have to get rid of Seiya.'

* * *

It had been two weeks since Michiru had shed her tears over Haruka. Two long, monotonous weeks. You would've thought it wouldn't be so bad since she had a chance to see Haruka every day, but those chances were limited, in themselves. Haruka had only come by to drop off Hotaru after spending time with her every day. It was relieving to know that the blonde cared just as much for Hotaru as she did. It only meant that, whether they were together or not, Hotaru would have decent parents.

"This is a nice set up you have here." Seiya commented as he winked at Hotaru. The child didn't seem to be pleased with Seiya as of lately, in fact, she didn't seem pleased with him at all. Seiya ignored the behavior of the child, shrugging it off, carelessly. Hotaru wasn't his main concern anyways - it was Michiru. "What's the special occasion? Are you preparing for your concert tonight?" Seiya asked as he watched Michiru put plates on the table, followed by two cups.

Michiru's eye twitched but only for a moment. "Hotaru sweetheart, could you go in the other room."

Hotaru nodded and walked off, surely to go dream of playing with her papa. Michiru had realized that now more than ever, Haruka was needed at home. Of course, there was only one way to accomplish that.

'Oh, she's going to eat with me alone…' Seiya grinned inwardly, congratulating himself on his accomplishments thus far. He had been working every day to gain more and more favor in Michiru's eyes. Tonight was surely the night she would agree to finally marry him.

"We need to talk, Seiya."

"Okay, sure." Seiya was about to take a seat when Michiru put up her hand.

"That's not necessary, really. Do you think I'm a fool?"

"I'm sorry - what?" Seiya asked, sensing a rather hostile tone about Michiru.

"I see how much you've been trying to break this family apart but I don't think you understand what it would take to actually get us to fall apart. You've been successful in a few things, I'll give you that. But up until this point, I haven't been as firm as I should have long ago." Michiru pointed to the direction of the front door. "I love Haruka. And, even though she is far from me now, I will not allow you to break up this family. It might be twisted in your eyes but in ours, we have the perfect family."

"Michiru, you can't mean that…"

"No, I do mean that, with every ounce of my heart. I love Haruka. You know, the woman that you constantly push around when I'm not looking. Yes, I'm quite aware of what you've been doing lately."

"What about your parents?" Seiya hissed in anger.

"That's exactly what kept me from throwing you out this entire time: my parents. But, my parents aren't me. They wouldn't know what true love means if it was hitting them in the face. I don't care what they say anymore. Even if I don't have their blessing, I will still marry Haruka."

"Haruka is a girl! And this can't be a family! Don't kid yourself, Michiru. You have one chance to apologize or I'm leaving."

"Well then, I guess I'll pass up apologizing." Michiru smiled quaintly as she motioned for him to leave. "It's been fun, Seiya." Seiya shook his head in disappointment as he gathered his belongings and left. _'One down, one to go.' _Michiru bit her lip at the second one. Perhaps the first one was easier than she thought it would be but, the second one? That was going to take some work.

* * *


	12. Michiru Strikes Back, Part II

**Rockstar Parents**

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

_Chapter Eleven: Michiru Strikes Back, Part II_

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Michiru had never been so nervous in her life. There were countless times that she came close to this, but never this bad. It was like she had to be doing something in order to keep from thinking about what was on her mind. Michiru fumbled with her earrings, then smoothened out her silky white dress. She cursed her manager for making it skin tight and rather revealing; although she didn't mind flaunting what she had, she was more of a traditional girl. Michiru refused to put any make up on, as always, but she did put some perfume on. For her hair, she didn't do a whole lot special, except leave it down. She knew Haruka preferred it this way and as much as she tried to deny it, she wanted to do her best to be appealing to Michiru. Surely, after two hours in her dressing room, Michiru was ready to go, dazzling like the star that her manager wanted her to be.

The violinist was grateful for the fact that the blonde was Hotaru's papa. Earlier that afternoon, Haruka offered to pick Hotaru up, yet again. Michiru couldn't express how appreciative she was; Haruka was always there when she needed her to be. Michiru wanted to see the blonde before the concert but she simply didn't have the time to do so. Today's schedule was running tight. The only thing that she did wish was for Haruka to come to the concert. The blonde briefly mentioned that she hadn't planned on going, stating she had other things to do, but Haruka did say that she might stop by. What that meant for Michiru, she didn't know. All day she had been thinking of ways to confess her love and she decided the best way would be to do that on stage, with the whole world watching her. But, if the love wasn't returned or Haruka wasn't even there to hear it, Michiru would feel nothing less than an idiot.

_'But I can't chance it… I have to tell her. I would rather be rejected and have made my confession, than to not make my confession and wonder my whole life if she would've rejected me.' _

"Michiru, you're on in ten minutes."

Ten minutes. Michiru took a deep breath. This concert was strangely what she needed to have in her life. It had been some time before she actually played for an audience; it was odd that out of the blue, an unknown sponsor would decide to support a single concert for her. Her manager couldn't disclose too many details about it but he did say the sponsor would show up after Michiru's last song. Either way, she was grateful that her music was so vehemently supported.

Michiru noticed she was twiddling her fingers far too much. She silently reprimanded herself and made any final touches on her appearance. Despite how nervous she was, she would have to overcome it. Michiru finally took one last deep breath and took hold of her old violin. Michiru hadn't really thought of it until now but it was in dire need of conditioning. Despite the fact that it was in working condition, it looked as if the violin hadn't been polished in at least a few months.

'_How could I be so careless?'_

"Michiru..." She heard someone knock then open the door. It was her manager. Michiru glanced up from her violin in a rather distant manner. "I don't mean to bother you before the show but..." Her manager pulled a large gift from behind him. "Someone left this for you. They didn't leave a name but they did leave a note." Michiru stepped forward, the size of the gift greatly intrigued her. Not only that but it seemed to be wrapped in elegant, shimmering paper. "I'll leave it with you now. You have about seven minutes left." Michiru heard the door close and for some time, she was reluctant to open the note. It was definitely a fancy, formal note. No doubt some ploy from Seiya, to get back at her, surely. Michiru sighed, unfolding the note.

_Dear Michiru, _

_You are far away from me now. So far that I can't tell you what I would like to tell you. I left on bad terms and thus far, have not been able to apologize for my behavior. What you said to me, it hurt. I'm not one to shy down from pain, I'm not one to admit that I'm in pain either. But your words are etched in the back of my mind. When you told me to leave, I was crushed. You know my intentions were never to hurt you. And, although I haven't shown you as much affection as I would have liked, I will always love you. I have tried countless times to show you how much I care. I would never ask you to feel a certain way, not for my sake. I know your love lies in another. But even then, I hope you know that I will always be there for you, even if it's not to be the love of your life. Good luck with your concert. Oh, the gift - I hope you like it. I noticed that your other violin hadn't been replaced for a couple years now. I figured you might want to start off the first concert in your new tour with something a bit different. _

_Love, _

_Me_

Michiru was reluctant to close the letter. Seiya had sounded so caring, so giving. Was this truly Seiya? Perhaps it was another one of his ploys. Michiru carefully unwrapped the gift, not satisfied with the idea of destroying such eloquent paper. _'He sure put a lot of thought into this.' _Michiru gasped at the beauty before her. In her hand was a brand new, never used before, slender, glass violin. Michiru traced her fingers over every part of it, absorbing the beauty that emanated from it. _'Glass violins are rare... I wonder how he got a hold of this.' _Aside from it's rarity, the glass violin in itself was probably worth tons of money. Not that materialistic things mattered to Michiru, but the price had to be considered. _'I can't use this. If I accept his gift then it would be the same as accepting his love. I'm sure.' _Michiru rubbed her forehead in confusion. Seiya would never do a thing such as this. Could this have been from –

"Michiru, let's go. You're on in one minute!"

The aqua-haired girl didn't have time to argue with herself, although a sudden realization had raided her thoughts. Instead, she simply picked up the glass violin, with a smile upon her face. This gift was more than just a gift, it was a blessing. Michiru would make her confession tonight, in front of everyone.

Everyone was clapping, cheering, showing their admiration and fandom for her in every polite way possible. She could see that most of her fans were beyond excitement; they fought the urge to scream out to her. Michiru laughed at the thought.

"We'd like to thank you for coming to the concert tonight. Depending on our sponsor's decision to continue the tour, we might possibly be able to have more concerts in the future. For now, we have a special message from Michiru Kaioh."

Michiru swallowed hard. She noticed that she had increased the pressure on her violin, grasping it for dear life. Anxiety filled every part of her body. The aqua-haired woman did everything in her power to contain her trembling though she knew that it was inevitable either way. This was her chance. This was her way of making everything better. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't she make the one confession that she had been wanting to make since the day she met Haruka? It wasn't love at first sight, that was an understatement. Michiru fell in love with Haruka after simply hearing about her. Michiru wasn't sure of what exactly to say. There were so many emotions, feelings, things that she wanted to express and here she was, not expressing them. Michiru finally released the tight grip on her violin, loosening up a bit. Whatever she had to say, she had to say it quick. Through all of her thinking, she hadn't realized the crowd had gone silent and a microphone had been placed before her. Her manager whispered to her through his teeth as he was smiling.

"Michiru... you're on."

The aqua-haired girl smiled weakly at her manager, then took hold of the microphone. This wasn't going to take long, or so she comforted herself. This was her moment of truth. _'You can do it...' _Michiru remembered Haruka's smile as she cuddled Hotaru. Hotaru, their daughter, no one else's. That was her family. If she let them fade away, she would never have them. Michiru had to do this.

"I'm a fool." Michiru bitterly laughed at herself. Her manager looked to be confused. This wasn't what she had told him she would be saying but it was too late to stop her now. "I've wanted you from the second I saw you. I've made so many mistakes. I wish I could take them all back. I wish I could take you back. I just want you to know I love you, not Seiya." Michiru paused, watching the expressions of her audience change invariably. She heard whispers, people gossiping. No doubt she would be in the news tomorrow. Media was such a pain to deal with. "I don't want a family without you. I need you. I don't know if you still feel the same for me. But, I want to start over. I want to be a real family. You're the only one I could ever want to see myself with. You're the 'papa' for Hotaru that she needs and you're certainly the partner that I need." Michiru scanned the crowd. Most her fans remained silent. But that wasn't what she was looking for. She was looking for a pair. A pair of individuals that she wanted to see at her concert. A pair of individuals that she needed to see. Michiru gave up her searching after finding that the pair wasn't present. _'I guess she couldn't make it.' _Michiru bit her lip. Why did she secretly hope that they would be there? Why? Haruka had a life. Haruka had Rei. Haruka had Hotaru. She didn't need Michiru anymore.

"Michiru..."

The violinist turned around, surprised to see the sandy haired blonde was standing right behind her the whole time. She was smiling at Michiru ever so sweetly with Hotaru in her arms. Michiru felt her spirit jump out of her body and touch the heavens. Every moment that they held each other's stare, was a moment she could die for. Michiru felt tears run down her cheek.

Haruka stepped forward, wiping Michiru's cheek softly. "Don't cry, Michi." The blonde hovered over the smaller girl, beaming down at her with nothing but love in her eyes. "They say that no man is worth your tears..." Haruka closed the distance between them, lowering her head so that her forehead met with Michiru's. "...and the one who is worth your tears, will never make you cry." Michiru sniffled as Haruka placed a hand beneath Michiru's chin. "Granted, I am no man. But the same still applies. I would never wish to be the reason for your tears, Michiru." Hotaru leaned in too, she hated to be left out. The little girl pretended to be as intense as her parents were, though she was silently waiting for something to happen. "Do you love me, Michiru?"

"Hai. I always have."

"Then you must know that I love you too." Haruka replied.

Michiru decided to take the step she never had, even when given the chance. Without thinking twice about it, she reached out, pressing her lips against Haruka's. It wasn't more than a moment that Haruka returned the kiss. Michiru could feel the passion, she could feel every part of Haruka's soul that loved her. It was the sweetest moment of her life. One that she would never forget.

"Uh, excuse me." Michiru's manager poked Haruka on the shoulder.

Haruka paid no mind to the man, instead she brought her family into a warm embrace, placing several kisses on Michiru's head. The blonde waved to the crowd who roared in response. Haruka laughed wholeheartedly as she watched Hotaru dance in her arms. Michiru giggled as well, never feeling as happy as she had in her whole life.

"The violin, was it from you?"

"Hai. Did you like it?"

Michiru held up the violin in her other hand. "It was beautiful. But the thought that it was from you was the real reason that I used it tonight."

"Um, excuse me." Michiru's manager poked Michiru on the shoulder.

"Hai?"

"Do you think you guys could kiss facing the other direction? The press wants to take some more pictures of you two from the side."

Michiru blushed and Haruka rolled her eyes. "Come on, Michiru." The blonde wrapped her arm firmly around Michiru's waist and with the other one, held Hotaru in a secure position on her shoulder. "I'm thinking we should celebrate." Haruka arched her eyebrow in Hotaru's direction. "How does ice cream sound?" Hotaru got wide eyed as if she never had the treat in her life before. "Pink ice cream..."

Hotaru pouted. "No papa, I want your ice cream." Michiru laughed.

"Oh? Have you learned your lesson so soon?" Haruka grinned, pulling them off stage.

"Michiru Kaioh!"

Michiru felt a sudden amount of dread fill her body. The loud shrieks of her mother and father coming from down the hall were not good signs. Seiya seemed to have them hot in pursuit as he approached them with a fierce determination. Haruka nudged Michiru softly. "Let me handle this." Michiru nodded as she took Hotaru from the blonde. "Seiya how pleasant of you to–" Haruka ducked as she sensed a punch was heading her way, then she came back up, landing one of her own right into Seiya's face. "Nice greeting." Haruka stood over a staggering Seiya as he cupped his nose with tears. A few drops of blood trickled down past his mouth. Michiru's parents were dumbfounded but soon found themselves scared when Haruka directed her attentions towards them. "You can either accept me or reject me, but I will not allow you to boss around Michiru like she's a child. She's an adult and can make her own decisions." Haruka folded her arms across her chest. Michiru's parents soon replaced their fear with a false impression of acceptance. "As for you, Seiya... stay away from my family. Don't come near them EVER again." The blonde advanced upon the dark haired boy, causing him to run in the other direction. Haruka laughed. "Now..." The blonde felt Michiru wrap one of her arms around her waist, pulling her towards the door. "Oh yes, that's right. I have a date with my family." Haruka threw a glare at Michiru's parents and them caused them to jump back when she threatened them by sticking her tongue out.

Michiru giggled. "Haruka... was that necessary...?" Hotaru laughed, clapping her hands.

"Every last part of it." Haruka replied with a smug look on her face.

"Look what you're teaching your daughter!"

"Don't be jealous of my life-teaching skills."

"And when is she going to need to know how to stick her tongue out?"

Haruka was stumped but then replaced her confusion with a smile. "You never know, Michiru. You never know. I hear tongues are very useful."

"Is that so? We'll just have to find out, won't we?" Michiru nudged Haruka and laughed. Life couldn't have been any better with Haruka and Hotaru close by her side.

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